Gravity
by KatieGrace07
Summary: CD/HG, Hermione's POV... 'Deep in his heart of hearts, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. And for some reason, he felt as though someday, he would...' Read and Enjoy! Chapter 14 NOW UP!
1. Preface

**A/N: Here's the preface for a new story I'm working on. I've decided to call it Gravity as of right now, but there's possibly going to be a title change in the future somewhere. It's Cedric/Hermione, and I haven't decided if it's going to end up being AU or not. (Meaning I don't know if I'm going to stick with Cedric's death or not... .) Anyway, I hope you read and enjoy, and please leave me a review. I live for reviews. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Puh-leeze don't sue me!**

* * *

Preface  
Smiles

Hermione had remembered the mild flirtations that had gone on between herself and the rather handsome Cedric Diggory in her third year, but nothing had stood out in her mind as much as the smile he had subtly sent her way when he jumped down from the tree on the walk to the portkey. At first glance, she didn't think the smile was for her, but when she looked up from the ground, she noticed that he was still watching her. How this magnificently good looking guy had noticed her was beyond her own comprehension. His smile was so incredibly charming, too. Crooked, but still perfect beyond reproach. To Hermione, he was the most amazing person in the world. To Cedric, she was everything he ever wanted. But there was one thing that scared him more than anything. Deep in his heart of hearts, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. And for some reason, he felt as though someday, he would.


	2. Ch 1:: Confessions

**A/N: So this is my attempt at a Cedric/Hermione full-length story. I've written some one-shots, but nothing this long. I apologize for the chapters being so long... I like them semi-long, though. I mean, it could be worse. They could be eight to ten pages instead of just three. xD Anyway! To the story!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it... if I did, Cedric would still be alive and gorgeous as ever sigh**

* * *

One  
Confessions

I hit the ground rather hard, landing right on my bum. The force of the fall knocked the wind right out of me. I had read about portkeys and the like in books, but the experience was something else. I felt like my heart had jumped out of my chest. I began to stand, when I looked up to see a hand waiting to help me up. I took the hand and stood, staring into the gray eyes belonging to the handsome Cedric Diggory. I felt my cheeks get hot, and quickly looked away from him.

"Thank you." I said, my voice quiet.

"Come along, you two!" Fred and George called over their shoulders. My cheeks got hotter when I realized how far behind the rest of the group we were. i noticed Cedric's hand was still holding mine gently. I sighed, my heart fluttering when he looked at me with those intoxicating gray eyes. He hesitantly let go of my hand, and I began to hurry towards the others, but his hand on my forearm stopped me from almost running.

"Walk with me." He said, almost as a whisper. So I decided to walk beside him for a few moments.

"Did you want to say something?" I asked, looking up at him, wondering why he could have wanted me to walk with him. Me, the bookworm, of all people.

"I wanted to know if I could see you later." He said, looking at me, his eyes piercing. I looked away from him, my cheeks hot. Of course I wanted to see him later... I could make an excuse... something to get me away for a little while.

"Yes." I said, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. I felt his hand take mine for a moment, locking his fingers with mine, and giving my hand a gentle squeeze. Once his hand released mine, he hurried off to catch his father. My stomach filled with butterflies at the thought of meeting Cedric in secret. It was so... stereotypically romantic, and something I wouldn't usually fall for, but I did. It was his eyes. I sighed once, thinking for a second about my secret, how I finally had a secret.

"Come on, Hermione!" Ron's voice cut through my reverie, pulling me back to where I was. I had lagged behind some, so I ran to catch up with the others.

"What was that about?" Harry asked.

"What?" I looked at him, as though nothing was said between Cedric and myself.

"What do you mean, what? What were you and pretty-boy Diggory talking about?" Ron asked, almost glaring at me. Why did Ron have to be such a git?

"We were just asking one another who would win..." I lied. "You don't need to be so rude, _Ronald_. His name is Cedric." I hoped he had heard me defending him. If not, it was no matter. Ron was always like that. Jealous. He was like the over-protective older brother almost. And it annoyed me.

"Sure." Ron sniffed. I rolled my eyes and gave Harry the 'Ron-is-annoying-me' look. Harry nodded, understanding. Harry had always been almost the complete opposite of Ron. More understanding, less annoying, less jealous. That was why I told Harry so much more about my personal life than I told Ron. Though I was sure that Harry told Ron some things, but having Ron judge me without me hearing it was better than him judging me while I was right there.

"Here we are. See you at the match then, Amos!" Mr. Weasley called after Cedric's father.

"See you later, then, Arthur!" Amos Diggory called over his shoulder, waving. I saw Cedric look back, catching my eye and smiling again, sending butterflies to my stomach and a slight weakness in my knees.

"Come on, Hermione! This place is amazing!" Ginny said, tugging on my hand. I smiled at her and followed her into the tent. From the outside it looked like it could house probably two people. But inside was a kitchen, living room, dining room, and two sleeping areas, one smaller one for myself and Ginny, the other larger one for the Weasleys and Harry. I went over to where Ginny and I were meant to sleep and picked the bed in the corner, where I found a little flap that revealed a window. I looked out and saw all the people wandering about, talking with one another, some looking for their tents. I closed the little flap once more and lied back on the bed, listening to Fred and George argue some more with Ron about who was the better team. Ron, of course, was sided with Bulgaria, but Fred and George were rooting for Ireland. I was indecisive as to who I was cheering for. I remember Ron asking me who I was siding with, and when I said I wasn't sure, he had to say the rudest thing possible. _It's probably because she's a girl..._ his words echoed in my ear. He had meant for it to be whispered in Harry's ear, but I still heard. The comment had nearly brought me to tears. I never thought Ron would be such a chauvinist pig, but on second thought, it didn't surprise me.

"C'mon, Hermione, we're having some lunch." Ginny said, interrupting me. I smiled at the thought of food... I was famished. I got up and half-skipped with Ginny to the small kitchen, helping Mr. Weasley put together some sandwiches.

* * *

Surprisingly, not long after we finished eating lunch, everyone but myself was fast asleep, tired from having to wake up so early that morning. I quietly got out of my bed, slipping on my shoes. I tip-toed my way out of the tent, stopping only once when I heard Ron's snoring coming from the couch instead of his bed. Once I was outside, I looked around for any possible sign of Cedric. He had never specified where to meet him, so I wondered where I should go. I jumped when someone grabbed my hand, but was relieved when I recognized the gray eyes and handsome, perfectly crooked smile.

"Come with me..." He said, pulling me along beside him, holding my hand. I wondered what in the world he wanted to talk about. When I gently tried to pull my hand away, his grip tightened. Clearly, he was not letting go.

He led me down a path that led to the woods. Like he knew exactly where he was going, he turned off the path into the green trees. When we were hidden from the sight of anyone walking down the path, he stopped and turned towards me, taking both my hands in his.

"Hermione..." He breathed, sending shivers through my body.

"Why did you bring me out here?" I asked.

"I wanted you to myself... without the wandering eyes of strangers or classmates." He smiled, pulling me closer to him. Gently, as though I was something breakable, he put his hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes, leaning my head against his warm hand.

"Why me?" I whispered, slowly opening my eyes, afraid that this was all just a dream. But when my eyes fully opened, he was still there.

"You are everything I ever wanted, Hermione." He said, his voice full of passion and honesty... no wonder he was a Hufflepuff. "To me, you are the most beautiful thing in the world," He pulled me closer to him, if that was at all possible. His arms, strong from playing so much quiddich, wrapped around me. I took a deep breath, taking this in, not wanting it to end. He smelled so good... I couldn't put my finger on it. It almost reminded me of home... the smell of fresh mowed grass and rain in the summer. I melted in his arms, my head resting on his chest.

"What about Cho?" I asked, not wanting to move.

"Don't worry about her. She and I broke it off weeks ago. Well, she broke it off weeks ago. I was just so distracted, and she couldn't stand being the second thing on my mind. She didn't make me feel the way that you make me feel."

"And how is that?" I asked, smiling.

"You make me feel real... whole. You know? When I'm with you, I feel so comfortable. I feel at home, like all I want to do for the rest of my life is hold on to you..." He breathed, kissing the top of my head.

"I know how you feel..." I said. "This is all so new to me, it's almost overwhelming."

"This feeling is different for me, too." He pulled away from me, but only a little. "But now that I told you, I don't want to leave you. I wonder what your friends would think... what was it they called me?" I felt my cheeks go pink at the mention of Ron's snide remark. He smiled. "Pretty-boy Diggory, wasn't it?"

"That was just Ron. He's a prat... don't listen to what he says. He can't stand me being around other guys."

"Well, he best get used to it, because this pretty-boy isn't going anywhere anytime soon." Cedric said, smiling that handsome crooked smile and kissing my forehead, making my heart jump.

"Can I tell you something?" I asked, and he nodded. "I love you." I said, feeling the weight of the world leave my shoulders. He smiled, brushing my hair behind my ear, his hand lingering on the nape of my neck. He drew me closer, my heart pounding in my ears.

"I love you too." He whispered, just before our lips met. But when they did meet, my knees nearly gave out, but Cedric was still holding me up. I felt a fire rip through me, something I had never felt before. I let my hands wander to his hair, holding him to me, my fingers locking in his bronze hair. One of his hands remained on my lower back, the other went to my hair, tilting my head to one side. If it hadn't been for him holding me up, I certainly would have collapsed by now.

When we pulled apart, it was like trying to get super-glue off your finger... next to impossible. He took a deep breath and smiled. Never had I ever felt so wanted... so loved... in my whole life. The only reason Harry and Ron were my friends was to have me write their essays and do their homework for them. Well, those days were over. I would never write an essay for anyone other than myself. Maybe I would start them, but not a whole essay. _Blast! _I thought. _I just got kissed by Cedric Diggory! And he confesses he's madly in love with me? And the only bloody thing I can think about is essays?! Pull yourself together, Hermione._

"So what to do now?" I whispered, lost in his stormy gray eyes.

"We should probably get back. They'll be wondering where we've gone to." Cedric said. I nodded in agreement... Merlin knows if the others were awake yet or not. As we were walking back to the camp, Cedric put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him.

"Cedric..." I said, looking up at him. What if people saw?

"What?" He looked down at me, a twinkle in his eyes. I smiled and put my arm around his waist. Let them see. "You know, I've been thinking."

"About what?" I asked as we reached the camp.

"About what my pet name for you should be..." He said with a smirk.

"Merlin's beard, why?" I asked, giggling a little.

"Because. How about... my little bookworm? That's it." I felt my cheeks go pink again, and he snickered, kissing my hot cheek. "It has a nice ring to it. And it fits you perfectly."

"If you insist. But what will I call you?" I teased.

"Whatever you like, my love." He said, making my heart jump again. It was a magical feeling, having someone love me. Someone besides my parents, of course. All too soon, we reached the Weasleys tent. I sighed and turned to face him.

"So..." I said, not wanting it to end.

"I will see you in the morning." He said. "Perhaps I'll come calling for you tonight. Keep your little window open..."

"How do you know..."

"Sh. Never mind that. My dad and I are coming to have breakfast with you in the morning. I will see you soon, I promise." His hand brushed my hair back, then lifted my chin to him. "I love you." He whispered huskily, making butterflies appear in my stomach.

"I love you too." I whispered back. His lips pressed hotly to mine, but not for as long as they had before. Of course, because there were other people around... we didn't want to draw unwanted attention. But for that magnificent moment, the rest of the world didn't matter. Just Cedric and I.

"Keep your window open tonight..." He whispered, and like a ghost, he was walking towards his tent, which was just a few down from ours. I sighed and smiled, feeling like this was too good to be true. He waves in my direction, and winks before disappearing into the tent. I look down at the grass beneath my feet for a moment, then go into my own tent.

"Where the bloody hell have you been, then?" I walk into the tent and Ron begins barraging me with questions.

"None of your flipping business, Ronald!" I say, glaring at him and walking back to my little room with Ginny.

"Sneaking out with some guy, then?" Ron doesn't let up.

"Ron, let Hermione be. She can go wander as long as she doesn't get lost." I hear Mr. Weasley say from the living room. "She's a grown woman, she can do what she likes."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley." I said, smiling in my triumph.

"This isn't over..." Ron glared at me. Sooner or later he'd try to pry it out of me. But my mouth was sealed. Maybe I could tell Ginny, though. She'd keep my secret. I had always been able to tell her things that I couldn't tell Harry or Ron. I could tell Harry. He wouldn't judge me the way Ron would. But the last person in the world I wanted to tell was Ron.

"Ginny..." I whispered to the red-headed girl on the bed. She turned her head and looked at me.

"What?" She asked, curious.

"I need to talk to you, come here..." I said quietly, motioning for her to sit next to me on my bed. She smiled and bounced over, sitting cross-legged before me, like a child waiting for her mother to tell her a bedtime story. I told Ginny everything, down to what he was wearing and what his hair looked like.

"Girls," Mr. Weasley called. "dinner!"

"Coming, dad!" Ginny called back.

"Ginny," I stared into her eyes. "you can't tell anyone. Especially Ron. He'll be furious. I'll tell Harry when I feel like the time is right. Please promise that you won't tell Ron. Or Fred or George. He'll ruin everything."

"I won't tell him, Hermione. I promise."

"Come on, it's getting cold!" Ron called.

"Let's go get some food. I'm hungry." Ginny said, smiling. I nodded in agreement. The two of us walked into the kitchen, and I immediately felt Ron's glare on me. But I ignored it, sitting beside Ginny and getting some food.

* * *

_I'm sorry if you don't like how I portrayed Ron... I personally didn't like him all that much in the first few books. Kind of an arse. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Please review, thank you for reading! Chapter two will be up soon, it's almost done!_


	3. Ch 2:: Take Me Away

**A/N: Here's chapter two- hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Don't own... please don't sue.

* * *

**

Two  
Take Me Away

Later that night, when everyone was fast asleep, I was watching the small window above me for any sign of Cedric. I could still feel his kiss, lingering on my lips. After waiting for him for what felt like an eternity, I rolled over and decided to get some much needed sleep. My dreams were filled with images of the handsome guy who confessed his love.

* * *

Ginny woke me up in the morning, telling me that breakfast was almost ready. I yawned and stretched my arms above my head. Quickly, I remembered that Cedric and his father were supposed to have breakfast with us. I smiled and happily jumped from my bed, searching in my bag for my clean clothes. I slipped into my clean jeans and pulled on my clean t-shirt. I put on my socks and shoes and hurried out to see if Cedric was here yet.

"Come, let's set the table. Amos and his son should be here at any moment..." Arthur said, coming out of the kitchen. Surprisingly, he was a good cook. I had never expected it. I smelled bacon and eggs, and possibly French toast? I wasn't sure, but whatever it was, it smelled good. Ginny and I began to set the table, my heart pounding in my ears. I had never wanted to see one person so badly before.

"Arthur!" I heard Amos Diggory burst into the tent. I forced myself not to turn around and look for Cedric. I continued setting the table, glancing up when I was finished. He was sitting on one of the two couches, his gray eyes meeting mine. My heart jumped and I smiled, my cheeks getting hot for a second. He smiled, quickly turning his eyes away so not to arouse any suspicions. Ginny and I glanced at one another, exchanging knowing grins.

"Well, breakfast is served, then! Come on, before it gets cold." Mr. Weasley began bringing out the food from the kitchen, Ron following him with a stack of cups and a pitcher of some kind of juice. Ginny and I sat next to one another, and before Ron could even think about sitting on my other side, Cedric was right there. Ron sat across from me, Harry sitting beside Ginny. Fred and George sat beside one another on the other side of Cedric, then Mr. Diggory and Mr. Weasley next to them.

"So are you all excited for the match tonight?" Mr. Diggory asked us all. And, of course, we all nodded excitedly. Cedric began to pass me the plate of French toast, and I smiled my thanks, our fingers touching for a moment. We chatted about the match and the upcoming year. Mr. Diggory and Mr. Weasley talked of something big happening at the school this year. Something that hasn't happened in years. Decades, even. More than once throughout the meal, I felt Cedric's hand on my leg or taking my hand.

About an hour later, everyone was finished eating. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory were chatting in the kitchen about the events that were supposed to go on at school this year. They never mentioned what it was, so Fred and George decided to go out and wander around. Ron and Harry went to their room to talk... probably about the match. Ginny had invited one of her schoolmates over, so that of course left Cedric and I. He looked at me from the couch, and smiled. I watched him walk out of the tent, and I casually followed him outside. Thankfully, Harry and Ron were too distracted to watch me go. Cedric took my hand and led me down the row of tents, into the one he and his father were staying in. It was just as big as the one the Weasleys, Harry and I shared.

"Wow..." I whispered. Their place was much grander than the Weasley's, though. He let go of my hand and disappeared behind a curtain to the right. I followed him, and saw that he had led me into his room.

"Come sit with me, Mione." He said, sitting up on his elbows on the bed. I blushed and took a few steps to the bed, sitting shyly beside him. "Relax. Look, we're not going to do anything. I just want to talk. I want to know more about my little bookworm." I sighed and stared at him, at those gorgeous gray eyes.

"All those days last year in the library didn't tell you enough?" I asked playfully. I relaxed and put my elbow on the pillows, resting my head on my hand.

"Of course not. I still don't know what your favorite color is..." He said, thinking of the one thing I really didn't know the answer to.

"To be completely honest, I don't have one. Though I've always been quite fond of the color of parchment..." I said, jokingly. Thankfully, this made him laugh. "And I'm sure if you asked my favorite smell, I'd say either ink or dust." Again, he laughed. I smiled and looked around the room for a moment.

"So how are you going to live without me for the next couple weeks?" He asked. "You know, after the world cup is over." He touched my arm, his touch sending goosebumps up my arm.

"I hadn't thought of that..." I said, thinking about having to go home without him. I put my arm over him and put my head on his chest. "I'm going to be miserable..."

"Me too, love." He whispered, kissing the top of my head.

"What if you came to visit me?" I asked, sitting up and looking at him. "We live in Oxford, and I know that's far from where you live... I mean, it's just an idea, I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind..."

"Hermione!" He cut me off, putting a finger over my lips and smiling. "I'd love to spend time with you. Anywhere. I'll just have to convince my parents, which hopefully won't be too hard. My dad's always been a pushover, but my mum's a bit tougher. I'll try my hardest, though. I promise..." He kissed my forehead and smiled again.

"Ced!" We both looked up. Mr. Diggory was back. Cedric looked at me and mouthed the word- 'hide'. I quickly but quietly got off the bed, slipping easily underneath it. I watched as Cedric went out to greet his father, my heart pounding too hard in my ears for me to hear their conversation. When I saw the curtain swish open and feet walk into the room, I took a deep breath. I saw the edge of the cover lift off the ground, and a hand appear, reaching out for me. I smiled and crawled out, taking the hand and standing up, looking into those stormy gray eyes.

"Time to go?" I whispered, and he nodded. "I'll see you tonight."

"I love you..." He whispered, with all the intensity of someone shouting it off a mountain.

"I love you too..." I whispered back, putting my arms around my waist. He held me close to him for a moment, then pulled back enough to be able to lean down and press his lips passionately to mine. I felt that fire rip through me again, and didn't want it to stop. As quickly as he began kissing me, he stopped.

"Let me make sure he's not out there..." He whispered quickly, stepping over to the curtain and peaking out to see where his father was. When he came back and nodded, we made a quick exit, slipping between two tents for a quick goodbye.

"I'll see you tonight at the cup then." I said, smiling. He brushed a stray hair from my face, his hand lingering on my cheek. I felt my knees go slightly weak, and he kissed me again.

"I'll see you tonight." He smiled, watching me as I walked into the Weasley's tent. I walked to my room, ignoring Ron's questions. I relaxed on my bed, feeling like I was in an utter state of bliss.

"Hermione!" Ron's annoying voice pulled me back from my day dreams.

"What?" I snapped, slightly irritated. Ron had never been so annoying as he had been the past couple of days. He was staring at me like I was a loony.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" He asked, his brow furrowed.

"Nothing." I said. "Well, nothing that would spark your interests, anyway. And if you keep your forehead like that, it might just get stuck."

"Ahaha." Ron mocked, walking out and leaving me at peace. Harry then came in and sat by me on the bed. Neither of us spoke for a moment, and I wondered what he could have possibly needed from me.

"Hermione..." He said, breaking the silence. "I don't mean to be nosy or anything, but what _have_ you been doing the past couple days? I feel like I've hardly seen you." I sat up and looked at my hands for a moment before looking back at the emerald eyes of my best friend.

"You can't tell Ron. He'll flip." I whispered, looking at him. He nodded, understanding my need for privacy.

"Let's take a walk." He said, and we walked outside. "Now, what is so secret that Ron can't know about?"

"A guy." I said, kicking a rock. "But not just any guy, Harry. He's..."

"Cedric, isn't it?" He asked, smiling and looking at me. I gaped. How could he know?

"Yes, but..."

"I just know." Harry smiled. "I have a sixth sense for those sorts of things, Hermione. Plus, I saw you two staring at each other this morning."

"Lucky Ron didn't catch that." I said, thankful.

"Well, Ron wouldn't know a puffskein if it hit him square in the forehead." Harry said, the two of us laughing. "But, Hermione, I honestly don't mind you and Cedric together. Unless he hurts you, of course. If he even thinks about breaking your heart, I'll break..."

"I know, harry. I know. But you really don't mind us together?" I asked, slightly surprised.

"Hermione, does he make you happy?" Harry asked.

"Yes, of course. This is the happiest I've every been." I said.

"I can tell. That's why I don't mind you being together." Harry said as we stopped. He looked at his watch and noticed that people were heading down the path that lead into the woods. "We should get going back." We turned and started heading for the tent.

* * *

I had my left arm linked with Ginny's as we headed for the quiddich pitch. Ron, Harry, Fred and George were bouncing happily down the path ahead of us like children, Mr. Diggory and Mr. Weasley somewhere behind us, and Cedric was walking next to me, close enough to talk.

"Did you tell Harry?" Ginny asked me suddenly.

"She knows?" Cedric asked.

"It's okay, Ced. Ginny's alright. She knows almost as much about me as you and Harry do." I smiled. "And yes, I told Harry. Who surprisingly already knew."

"How did he know?" Ginny and Cedric asked in unison.

"He said he saw us this morning when we were looking at one another. I talked to him earlier, though. He said he was alright with us being together." I said, looking over at Cedric. He nodded, looking down at the dirt path. "Lord, how long is it going to take us to get there? This path must be miles long."

"Not that much farther, now!" I heard Mr. Weasley from somewhere behind us. Indeed, I could already hear the cheers from the crowd of people that were already there.

"Excited, Ginny?" Cedric asked, looking around me at the blushing red-head. Ginny had never been shy around anyone except Harry.

"Uhm... yeah. Yeah." She said, after I gently elbowed her in the ribs. The three of us were cheering for Ireland, along with Fred and George. I had on an Ireland scarf, Ginny was wearing a leprechaun hat, and Fred and George had gone a little all-out, painting their faces and wearing an Ireland flag as a cape.

What felt like hours later, we finally reached where we would be sitting... or, standing, rather. We were at the very top of the arena, but we had a good view. A few times throughout the match, making sure no one was watching, Cedric snuck a kiss on my cheek or gently took my hand. After Krum caught the snitch, ending the game at 170 to 160. Because Bulgaria was so far behind, Krum catching the snitch still left Ireland with the win.

We started our long walk back to the campgrounds, Cedric and I falling pretty far behind the rest of the group. Cedric took my hand and smiled at me.

"What?" I asked, my cheeks getting hot.

"I can't just look at you?" He asked, still smiling his perfectly crooked smile. "You're so beautiful when you blush." He said, causing my cheeks to get hotter, making him laugh.

"When do you leave?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Tomorrow morning." He said, kicking a rock. The crowd around us was chattering away about the match, leaving Cedric and I feeling like the only two people in the world despite the thousands surrounding us.

"Us too." I sighed. I didn't want to go. When we got back to the campground, the last thing I wanted to do was leave Cedric. We stopped outside the Weasley's tent to say goodnight.

"I'll see you later." He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. "If I don't see you tomorrow, I'll send you a letter." He kissed the top of my head, and I took a deep breath.

"I love you." I said quietly.

"I love you too." He said, pulling away and kissing my forehead. I watched him look up suddenly, glancing around like something was wrong. Without another word, he quickly pressed his lips to mine, but something was different... I couldn't put my finger on it, but it worried me. He smiled and whispered a goodbye, hurrying to his tent. I walked into the tent and began laughing, seeing Fred and George dancing around Ron, bragging about the Irish victory. Mr. Weasley was still not back, and all I could think about was Cedric and what gave him that worried look in his eyes.

Later that evening, we would all find out something terrible.

* * *

  
_So there it is... I hope you enjoyed. Chapter three is in progress and should be up soon. While you're waiting, kindly review! I live for reviews... so please leave your opinion. I know you've been reading this! But please, no flames. Thank you!!_


	4. Ch 3:: Tomorrow

**A/N: Thank you to all my rabid readers, here is chapter three for you to sink your teeth into! Thank you all for your kind reviews, they are very much appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own... please don't sue me!

* * *

**

Three  
Tomorrow

"Sounds like the Irish have got their party on..." Fred... or was it George... said later that evening. Screams and shouts were coming from outside. It didn't sound like partying to me. It sounded like something far worse. Just then, Mr. Weasley came bursting into the tent, looking mortified.

"We need to get out of here... we need to go." He said frantically, putting his arm around Ginny.

"Isn't it just the Irish..." George started, but Mr. Weasley cut him off, shaking his head.

"It's not the Irish..." Mr. Weasley whispered, looking over his shoulder. The screams suddenly got louder. "Come on..." He grabbed Ginny's hand, and we all followed him outside, finally able to see what was going on.

"Oh my..." I said, my eyes wide with fear. People were running, screaming from something terrible. Tents were on fire, people floating above them. It was impossible to tell if they were alive or dead.

"George, Fred, take your sister. Get back to the portkey, everyone! Stick together and be on your guard!" Mr. Weasley said in a hurry, rushing off to help the others. Ginny, Fred, and George ran in the direction of the portkey, Ron and Harry close on their heels. Suddenly, I saw what everyone was afraid of. Closing in on me were several men in black robes with masks, shooting curses this way and that. My heart pounded in fear, and I felt like I was shackled to the ground. No matter how hard I tried to move my feet, they were cemented to the ground. I screamed in fear when I felt someone grab me by the waist and pull me away, running with me in their arms.

"Are you absolutely bonkers, Hermione?" Cedric's voice filled my ears, calming me somewhat. Once we were on the edge of the woods, he put me down. He took my hand and led me into the woods, stopping when we could no longer see the horror that was happening at the campground. "Why were you just standing there?! They could have killed you!" Cedric half-yelled at me.

"I couldn't move..." I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. "I tried... I did... but I couldn't move." He sighed and took me into his arms, holding me close to his chest.

"I just saw you standing there and got so scared for a moment. They were coming right for you... somehow they knew that you weren't..." He stopped in the middle of his sentence, afraid to insult me.

"They were Death Eaters?" I asked, pulling away and looking up at him.

"Yeah. I was afraid they were after you." He said, brushing my hair behind my ear. "I don't know what I would have done if they had tried to kill you..."

"Stop, Ced." I said, looking into his eyes. "They didn't, I'm right here. I'll always be right here."

"Let's get you back to the portkey." He said, smiling.

"What about you?" I asked, looking at him. "When are you going?"

"I don't know." There were still screams from the campground, but they weren't as loud anymore. The ministry had begun to get things under control.

"Come back with me. Please, Cedric. I don't want you here." I begged.

"I'll see when we get back to the portkey." He pulled me up and kissed me quickly, and we were off to the portkey, staying on the outskirts of the campground. From what we could see, more than three-quarters of the tents were gone, burned to a crisp. When we reached the portkey, I saw that everyone was there but Harry and Ron.

"Where are they?" I asked, looking from Ginny to her older twin brothers.

"Ron went back to find..." Ginny started, looking at me, then her eyes darted to something behind me, and she smiled. I turned to see Harry, Ron, and Mr. Weasley emerge from the smoke.

"Merlin's beard, what's that?!" Ginny exclaimed, looking up and pointing at something in the sky. It was a green, smoky skull with a snake slithering out of its mouth. My heart almost jumped out of my chest.

"The Dark Mark..." I whispered, staring unblinkingly at the sky.

"Hermione," Cedric whispered, pulling on my arm. Everyone was gathered around the portkey.

"Cedric, you head back to the Burrow, your father will come for you in the morning." Mr. Weasley said. "Fred, tell your mother I'll be along by morning." And with that, we were spinning once more.

* * *

"I hope I'm not..." Cedric started, but Mrs. Weasley stopped him, mumbling something about 'nonsense' and 'spare bedroom'. I looked at him and shrugged.

"Hermione, the others have already gone to bed, could you show Cedric the spare room by Ginny's?" Mrs. Weasley said, putting around the kitchen.

"Of course." I said, smiling.

"And take some linens out of the closet..." She said as I led Cedric up the stairs towards Ginny's room. I stopped at the closet and took out a few sheets and one of the quilts, then turned and walked into the spare room. It had probably been Bill or Charlie's room at one point, but they had changed it to a guest room after the two oldest boys moved out.

"This is... quaint." Cedric said. "I actually sort of like it."

"At least Mrs. Weasley doesn't mind you being here." I said, beginning to make the bed as Cedric looked out the window.

"Did you hear Ron say something?" He asked.

"I thought I heard him mumble something about you being here. But I couldn't make it out." I said, looking down, keeping my eyes focused on what I was doing. I didn't hear him come up behind me, but when he stopped me, I looked into his eyes, wondering what he was doing.

"Hermione, I want you to do something for me." He whispered, holding my wrists gently to him. I nodded, staying quiet. "Mione, I want you to not pay attention to what people say about me, or about us... please. Stop worrying about what others think or say. Because eventually we're going to have to tell them, or they'll find out somehow."

"I know. I'll try to stop, I promise." I said, smiling. He pressed his lips to mine, letting go of my wrists and cupping my face, kissing me with the most intensity I have ever felt. I kissed him with everything I had, and if it weren't for my need of oxygen, I wouldn't have pulled away from him for anything.

"I'm sorry I stopped you from making the bed." He whispered, brushing my hair back, playing with my curls.

"You could help me..." I suggested, and he nodded, walking over to the opposite side of the bed. I threw the sheet over the bed and tucked it in, doing the same with the quilt.

"Does it get chilly at night?" Cedric asked, raising an eyebrow at the quilt. I smiled and nodded, shrugging.

"It does get quite cold. Perhaps I'll have to come cuddle later to warm you up." I said, winking at him, then taking my eyes off him to fluff the pillows.

"Why not just stay here... Mrs. Weasley said everyone was already sleeping." Cedric said, beginning to take off his shirt. I looked up at him, my heart skipping a beat as I realized he was half-naked before me. He laughed quietly when he saw me staring.

"I'm sorry..." I said, blushing and shaking my head. "I'm sorry..."

"Mione..." He whispered, walking over to where I was standing. "don't be sorry, my love." He smiled, pulling me into a tight hug. He smelled even better without a shirt on. I sighed and put my arms around his bare waist.

"I'll stay, let me go change into my pajamas." I said, pulling away and kissing him before making a quick exit, almost running into Ginny's door. I quietly changed, slipping on my comfortable long pants and a tank top. After putting my dirty clothes neatly on the end of the spare bed in Ginny's room, I slipped out quietly and walked back into the spare room. Cedric had turned the light off, and was already in bed by the time I made it back. He lifted up the covers, and I slipped beneath them.

"You know..." he whispered after a few moments of silence. "I don't know when your birthday is." He put his arm around me, pulling me to him. I put my head on his shoulder, resting my arm across his stomach.

"September 19th." I said, closing my eyes.

"October 23rd." He kissed the top of my head.

"You must be at quite a crossroads when it comes to reading your horoscope." I said, laughing a little. He sniffed.

"I don't really believe in that stuff. Not when it comes to my love life, anyway." Cedric said. We were both quiet, and I could feel the waves of sleep wash over me.

"I love you." I whispered as I drifted off.

* * *

When I woke up in the morning, the sun was rising, pink on the horizon, and Cedric was still fast asleep. But I heard footsteps walking around downstairs somewhere. I assumed that it was Mrs. Weasley preparing breakfast. I slowly got out of bed so I didn't wake Cedric, and walked back into Ginny's room to see that she was out of bed. I put my slippers on and walked downstairs to see everyone but Harry and Cedric sitting at the table, yawning. Mr. Weasley was looking rather disheveled, as was Mr. Diggory.

"Ah, Hermione. Would you go wake up the boys, please?" Mrs. Weasley asked, and I nodded, walking back up the stairs. I woke Harry first, telling him that breakfast was ready, then I walked into the spare room, waking Cedric.

"Breakfast." I said, kissing his forehead. He yawned and stretched, throwing the covers back off him. I watched as he put a shirt on and stood up, coming around to where I was standing. He smiled tiredly and kissed me.

"Good morning, love." He said, his voice groggy. I smiled and looked into his tired eyes.

"Good morning. Breakfast is ready... come on. Your dad's here too." I said, opening the door. We walked downstairs, taking our seats at the table. The last thing Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory wanted to do was talk about what had happened last night, so for the most part, breakfast was quiet. Mrs. Weasley asked Ginny to help clean up when everyone was finished.

"Well, Arthur, I'll be seeing you at work, then." Mr. Diggory said, shaking Mr. Weasley's hand.

"Yes. See you at work, Amos." Mr. Weasley said, smiling. The others had wandered off somewhere, so before Mr. Diggory and Cedric left, I snuck outside through a side door. Cedric saw me, and made an excuse that he dropped something. His father began walking ahead without him, and Cedric found me behind my shrub. We were basically hidden on all sides, so nobody could see us.

"I'm leaving soon. I'm meeting my parents at Diagon Alley." I said in a hurried whisper.

"I'll miss you." He whispered. "After what happened at the World Cup, I dunno if my parents will let me go."

"I hope they do." I said, running my hand through his unruly hair.

"I do to, Mione." He sighed, putting his forehead to mine. "I miss you already... and I love you so much..."

"I love you too, Ced." I said. He put his hand on my cheek and kissed me. I felt my heart thud in my ears, and my eyes closed. When he pulled away, my eyelids opened, and I stared into his gray eyes, smiling.

"I'll see you soon. I promise." He said, brushing my hair from my face. "I love you."

"I love you too. Send me a letter as soon as you can." I said, and he nodded.

"Bye." He said, kissing my forehead before running to catch up with his father. I watched him until he was out of sight before going back into the house.

When it was time for me to go, I said my goodbyes to all the Weasleys, except for Mr. Weasley, who had gone to work. I hugged Harry and told him to write, and when I was ready to leave, I smiled my goodbye as I took my Floo powder and hopped into the fireplace. I always hated traveling through the Floo network. I kept my eyes closed until I arrived in the Flourish and Blotts bookshop. When I opened my eyes, I looked at myself and dusted off my shirt and jeans, looking around for my parents. I looked around for my parents, instead getting more interested in the books. We hadn't gotten our supplies lists yet... though I should have gotten it today...

"Hermione!" I heard my mum say, walking into the store. I turned and smiled, waiving at them. "We're so glad you're okay. We got your Daily Prophet along with your school list this morning..."

"Hermione, we were so worried when we saw the front page..." Dad said, hugging me.

"But I'm okay. Mum? You said something about getting my school list?" I changed the subject quickly, not wanting to talk about what I saw and what went on at the World Cup. We spent the rest of the day in Diagon Alley, shopping for my fourth year. I managed to talk my parents into getting me a few books, many of which I wouldn't need until fifth or sixth year. But I always liked to get a jump start on things.

When the time came for us to leave, it was near six o'clock. I hadn't seen or heard any signs of Cedric, so I left Diagon Alley with my parents for the hour or so drive back to our home in Oxford. On the way back I mentioned to my parents that I had invited a friend to spend the last couple weeks with me. They didn't seem to mind, even when I said that it was a _boy_ friend. Though I made a point to separate the two words.

"What's his name, Hermione?" Mum asked.

"Cedric Diggory. He's going into his sixth year. He's a good friend..." I said, thinking of the time we had at the World Cup. I smiled and looked out the window. The rain had slowed since we left London, and was now just a light drizzle. Saying Cedric was simply a good friend felt like such a lie to me. He was so much more than just a good friend. He felt like a part of me now, like he belonged to me, and I to him. I hoped that was how it would be for the rest of our lives. Since he had poured his heart out to me, I had been on cloud nine... my heart light as ever.

When we arrived at home, I helped my parents take all my new school things inside, and mum began making dinner. Dad went to watch the TV, and I relaxed upstairs in my room, a new book open on my lap. I was eagerly taking in the words written on the page when I heard a tapping on my window. I looked to the window to see a tawny owl perched on the branch outside the window, a letter in her beak. I opened the window and smiled, taking the letter. She flew inside and perched on my bookshelf, obviously waiting for me to write a reply. I looked at the handwriting and recognized it immediately to be Cedric's. Hastily, I opened the letter and began to read.

* * *

_Ahaha, cliffhanger! I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. Chapter four is in progress, and should be up in the next few days. I've been distracted of late, re-reading Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse, the third in the Twilight series. And with the release of Breaking Dawn imminent, I'll probably be distracted then too. But not to worry... I'll keep updating as regularly as possible. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I do deeply appreciate it. Thank you all so much. :) (PS- Cedric doesn't "technically" have a birthday, it just says he was born between September 1st and October 31st, so for the sake of the story, I made one up.)_


	5. Ch 4:: Letters and a Train Ride

**A/N: Here's chapter four, I'm sorry it took me so long to finish, but I'm going through a little case of writer's block, so just hold tight. Chapter five is in (slow) progress, but it's coming along. I'll get to the chapter so this won't be long. Please read and review... oh, and enjoy!! (PS- If you recognize some lines from the GoF movie, it's because I borrowed them for the sake of the story. But I tried to re-word them as best as I could.)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own... please don't sue!**

* * *

Four  
Letters and the Train

_My dear little bookworm,  
__I'm sorry I didn't meet you in Diagon Alley this afternoon. I can almost see the  
__disappointment in your face. I won't be able to see you until the train ride to Hogwarts,  
__either. I am so sorry, and I miss you ever so much. I can't wait to see you at King's  
__Cross, and I hope to have a letter from you soon. I plan to go shopping for my school  
__things next week, perhaps you could meet me?  
__All my love,_

_-Cedric_

I sighed and re-read the letter. By the time I had finished reading his words over and over again, I had the letter memorized and it was time for dinner. I put the letter on my book, telling his owl to wait patiently while I ate. She hooted her response, and I smiled, gently stroking her feathers. I closed the door to my room and hurried downstairs for dinner.

"I got a letter from Cedric..." I sighed, sounding more disappointed than I meant to.

"Oh..." Mum said, biting into a flower of steamed broccoli. "you sound sad about it, dear? Is he alright?"

"Yes, he's fine. He just won't be able to make it. I suppose his parents are being cautious. His father works at the ministry." I said, looking at my mother. "But I was wondering if it could be at all possible for me to go to Diagon Alley next week. He wants me to meet him there."

"Of course, I don't see why not." Dad said. "I planned to take next week off, anyhow."

"Thanks, dad." I smiled at my father, and finished my dinner in a hurry, wanting desperately to get back to my room to write Cedric. I looked to my bookshelf to see his owl resting with her head tucked in her wing, still on my bookshelf. I smiled and pulled out a piece of parchment with a quill and ink.

_Dearest Cedric,  
__I miss you too, love. More than anything. My dad said that I will be  
__able to meet you in Diagon Alley next week. Please write and tell me what day  
__you will be going, and when. I have already gotten my school things and, as  
__expected, I have already immersed myself in my books. And even with my nose  
__buried in them, I still can't distract myself from the thought of you. These  
__next weeks will be dreadfully long without you, love. But I will survive. I  
__can't wait to see you. All my love,_

_-Hermione_

I blew on the ink, willing it to dry faster. When it was finally dry, I wrote Cedric's name on it and cautiously woke his owl. She hooted, taking the note in her beak. I smiled at her, holding out my hand. She stepped onto it, and I walked her to the window, opening it for her to fly out. I watched until she was out of sight, and sighed, going back to reading my book.

* * *

The next week dragged on, but the day spent with Cedric in Diagon Alley flew by much too fast for my liking. After he had finished getting all of his school things, we sat at Florian Fortescue's ice cream parlor, chatting about what I had already read.

"I've finished our charms book for this year already..." I said, blushing. Cedric laughed and took a spoonful of his ice cream. "I started our transfiguration one, too, so I'll probably have that finished by the time you see me next."

"I'm sorry I couldn't spend these last couple weeks with you..." He said, looking at me with a slight sadness in his eyes. "Last week was so boring for me."

"Me too. But we'll have plenty of time to be together this year." I smiled, touching his hand. "I'll even make an excuse to get out of the compartment with Harry and Ron..."

"Don't you think it's time to tell Ron. He might be mad at you for a little while, but he can't ignore you forever. I mean, you are the reason he passes his classes, aren't you?" He asked, making me smile. "I'll find your compartment on the train..."

"Okay." I breathed and nodded. It was time to tell Ron. I didn't care if he hated me or not. But I would tell him, with Cedric by my side.

* * *

On the morning of September first, I was more excited to see the shining scarlet Hogwart's Express than I had ever been. My trunk had been taken to the baggage car along with everyone else's. I hugged my parents goodbye, promising to write whenever I got the chance.

"Make sure to write and tell us if you need anything..." Mum said, like she knew something I didn't. I saw my dad wink at her and smile.

"Okay..." I said, drawing out the 'y'. "I'll see you guys at Christmas. Love you." I hugged them both again and got onto the train, finding an empty compartment. I was always way early for the train, so I doubted that Ron, Harry, or Cedric was on board yet. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, wondering how in the world I was going to tell Ron. I thought maybe it would be best to just come right out and say it, even before Cedric was with me...

"Hey." I heard a familiar voice say, and I opened my eyes, looking to see who it was. I smiled when I saw Cedric standing in the doorway of the compartment. "Did I wake you?"

"No... I was just thinking." I said, looking into his gray eyes. He smiled again, walking in and closing the door behind him, then sitting beside me.

"Thinking about what?" He asked, kissing my cheek.

"About how to tell Ron." I sighed.

"Don't worry about him... just tell him. Close your eyes if you have to." Cedric said, smiling. Just then, Harry and Ron came in. Harry smiled, but Ron just looked from Cedric to me with a scowl on his face.

"Hey Herm," Harry started, but Ron cut him off.

"What is he doing here?" Ron asked, sitting down across from Cedric and I.

"Ron, give her a break..." Harry said.

"Ron, Cedric and I are dating." I said quickly, taking Cedrics' hand. I looked at Harry, who nodded encouragingly. I sighed and looked at Ron, who looked angrily at me.

"Why _him_?" Ron asked. "He's a Hufflepuff!" I looked at Cedric, who looked a little frustrated. I squeezed his hand, and he looked at me, his gray eyes sparked with anger and frustration. He turned his head quickly back to Ron.

"So what if I'm a Hufflepuff?" He asked angrily. "I love her, and that's all that matters!"

"Ron, can't you see how happy she is?" Harry asked.

"So what, you're on her side now?" Ron glared at Harry.

"There aren't sides here, Ronald! There's you having a problem with me dating someone other than a Gryffindor!" I said, almost yelling. Angry tears stung my eyes, pouring down my cheeks. "You're so bloody _selfish_, Ronald! You don't care that I'm happy, do you?!" I stood over him, glaring down. He was as silent as a child being reprimanded by their mother. His cheeks turned pink, and he stood up, glaring at Cedric as he stormed from the compartment.

"Stupid git..." I said, my voice only coming out as a whisper. I sat down next to Cedric, who put his arms around me, hugging me against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. Ron had no right to act like that..." Harry said, touching my knee.

"Thanks, Harry." I said, looking at him and smiling. He nodded and stood up, walking out of the compartment... hopefully he was going to go find Ron and give him a piece of his mind. When the door closed I pulled away from Cedric and looked into his eyes.

"He was so lucky that I didn't kick his arse..."

"Ced, stop." I said, pulling my legs to my chest and resting my head on my knees. Cedric sighed, putting his arms around me and pulling me close to him.

"I'm sorry, love." He breathed, kissing the top of my head. Why did Ron always have to be such a git? Why couldn't he just understand how happy I was, and that I finally had someone who loved me for _me_? Cedric held me close the whole train ride. When we were almost there, we changed into our robes.

"I have to go meet with the other prefects. I'll see you later, okay?" He held my face in his hands and kissed my nose. I smiled, looking into his shimmering eyes.

"Okay." I whispered. He pressed his lips to mine gently, his hands moving from my face to my back, holding me close to him. When he pulled away, he was smiling and the look in his eyes made my knees weak.

"I love you, Hermione Granger." He whispered. "Gryffindor or not, I will always love you."

"I love you too, Cedric." My voice felt feeble, hardly a whisper. He smiled and kissed my forehead before walking out of the compartment to go meet with the other prefects. Hardly five minutes passed before I felt the train jerk to a stop, and people crowded the corridors. I waited a few minutes before leaving my compartment. I found Harry walking with Ginny, and I wondered where Ron had went.

"Hey Hermione. Feeling better?" Harry asked me as we got into one of the carriages.

"Yeah. Where's Ron?" I asked, looking from Harry to Ginny.

"Dunno." Harry shrugged. "Might be with Seamus and Dean."

"Knowing Ron, he'll probably tell everyone about Cedric and I." I sighed. I was quiet for the rest of the ride up to the castle, and took my seat next to Harry at the Gryffindor table. We watched the sorting with mild amusement, clapping for every Gryffindor we got. After that, Dumbledore stood to make his usual welcome back speech.

"Welcome," He started. "to another year at Hogwarts. I have an announcement to make. This year, Hogwarts will play host to one of the most legendary events. The Triwizard Tournament... for those of you who don't know, the tournament brings together three magical schools to compete in a series of competitions. From each school, one single student is selected to compete. Let me make it clear that, once chosen, you cannot back down. These competitions are made to test you in any possible way. They are not for the faint-hearted. But more of that later. I would ask you all to please help me welcome the ladies from the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and their headmistress, Madame Maxime" Dumbledore stopped, and the doors to the Great Hall opened. Forty to fifty girls in silky blue robes poured into the hall. I instantly noticed all the boys begin to practically drool over the beautiful girls walking into the hall. I sighed and waited for them to walk to the front of the hall before I looked over at Cedric, who was watching me. He smiled and winked at me, and I felt the color in my cheeks rise.

"And now, the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their high-master, Igor Karkaroff..." Suddenly, about the same number of tough, strong-looking men burst into the hall, and I heard someone whisper something about Viktor Krum. I looked to where people were pointing and, sure enough, Viktor Krum was making his way down the middle of the hall, followed by someone who I assumed to be Karkaroff. Dumbledore welcomed Madame Maxime and Karkaroff, and allowed the students to sit wherever they wanted. The food magically appeared on the tables, and we happily began to eat.

After we were finished eating, Dumbledore stood again, standing next to something that was in the center of the Great Hall, in front of the Professor's table. Everyone in the hall instinctively silenced, and we looked up to where Dumbledore was standing.

"I have a few words to say..." He said, taking a deep breath. "eternal glory. That's what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard tournament. But to do so, the student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks. For this reason, the ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this, we have Mr. Bartemius Crouch, the head of the department of international magical cooperation." For a moment, my eyes were on the door behind the Professor's table, and I saw it open and close, a man with a limp coming into the great hall and taking the empty seat that was saved for the defense against the dark arts professor.

Barty Crouch, a nervous-looking elderly man came forth to make an announcement. "After due consideration, the Ministry has seen fit to, for their own safety, set an age restriction. No student under the age of seventeen..." He was suddenly drown out by the complaints of people under seventeen. I glanced at Cedric, who didn't seem to mind much. Dumbledore shouted over the complaints, and the golden statue he was standing next to began melting away, revealing what I knew to be the goblet of fire. Blue flames erupted from the goblet, and Dumbledore turned back to us students.

"The goblet of fire. Anyone who wishes to enter the tournament must only write their name on a piece of parchment and throw it into the fire. On Halloween night, the three champions will be chosen. But do not do so lightly. Once chosen, you stand alone. As of this moment, the Triwizard tournament has begun."

* * *

"So Hermione! How was your summer?" Lavender Brown asked me the moment I walked into the girls dormitory. I looked at her and smiled, sitting on my bed.

"Good." I said. What an understatement. "I went to the World Cup with Harry and the Weasleys. We ended up meeting up with Cedric Diggory and his dad." I looked up at the canopy above my bed. I heard Lavender and Parvati sigh and giggle. They mumbled something about Cedric being good-looking or something. I wasn't paying any attention to them... I was too busy day-dreaming about him.

* * *

_I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Again, I'm sorry it took so long for me to get this posted... Chapter five is in progress, and I should hopefully have it up soon. In the meantime, please review! Thank you all so much for your kind reviews, I really appreciate it. :D_


	6. Ch 5:: A Hogsmeade Birthday

**A/N: Here's chapter 5, I hope you enjoy! Sorry it took so long, writer's block agian. But you've all been so patient, so thank you! A shout out to BlueSunsetWaters for her kind reviews... thank you! Without further ado, Chapter five!! :D**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue!**

* * *

  
Five  
A Hogsmeade Birthday

I was sitting in the library one Friday afternoon, a couple weeks later, working on a Charms assignment. I had my nose buried deep in a book, furiously scribbling notes. I heard the chair beside me squeak on the floor, and I smiled. I didn't even look up, I was too busy working on my essay.

"You know, you might just get carpal tunnel writing like that..." Cedric whispered in my ear. I glanced over at him and mocked a glare.

"Carpal tunnel? I'll just have Madam Pomfry fix me up, then." I said, smiling and putting down my quill. He kissed my cheek and opened one of his books. "Were you looking for me?"

"I thought of asking Harry where you'd be, but then I figured you'd be in here... you're always here when I can't find you." He said, looking at me and smiling. "Merlin's beard, how long have you been working on this?" He gaped at my three pages of notes. We had been studying protective spells, and professor Flitwick had assigned an essay on what we had gone over the past couple weeks.

"How has Ron been?" I asked, gathering my notes and putting them in my bag. Ron had been ignoring both Cedric and I the past couple weeks.

"Still an arse." He shook his head. "You do realize what tomorrow is, don't you?"

"Sure... it's... Saturday. First Hogsmeade trip?" I asked. I couldn't remember the date to save my life. I racked my brain trying to figure it out, but all I could think about was the stupid charms essay.

"Hermione, you've forgotten your own birthday?" Cedric asked me, almost laughing. I took a deep breath and put my head on the table. How could I have forgotten my own birthday? How stupid of me.

"I feel like... like..." I picked my head up and looked at Cedric. His eyes twinkled with amusement, and he opened his arms. I sighed again and leaned into his arms, my head resting against his chest. "I've been too focused on school. I feel like I haven't seen you at all these past couple weeks. I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry, love. I know how you get when you're given an essay or project or something. That's why I'm not angry or anything. You're so cute when you're flustered, you know that, right?" He asked, holding my face and making me look up at him.

"Now I know that..." I whispered, smiling. He kissed me for a moment, then pulled away.

"Why don't we take a walk? It's nice outside right now..." He said. "I have something to tell you..." He kissed the tip of my nose.

"Sure..." I nodded, standing up. I put my books and such in my bag and waited for Cedric. He stood, pushed in his chair, and slung his bag over his shoulder. I did the same with my bag, and we walked out of the library together, heading out to the lake. Cedric was right, it was a nice day. Unseasonably warm for mid-September, the sun shimmering on the surface of the lake. There was a crisp breeze, feeling good compared to the hot sun. We stopped for a moment, Cedric turning to look at the lake. The Durmstrang ship was floating in the distance, and I sighed, looking at Cedric again.

"What was it you wanted to tell me, Ced?" I asked, touching his arm. I set down my bag and waited for him to look at me.

"I want to enter the tournament." He said, still looking out at the lake. I didn't know what to say... I knew I should have said something encouraging, but at the same time I was scared. This tournament had a death rate, that was why they stopped it in the first place.

"Cedric, look at me, please." I said, almost pleadingly. He turned and looked at me, running his fingers through my hair. "If this is something you really want to do, the enter."

"But are you going to support me? He asked.

"Of course I will." I said, staring into his gray eyes. "I am behind you one-hundred percent. I just want you to know that, if you get chosen, I will be the most worried woman in the world."

"I know, Mione. It's okay... I mean, there's only like a one in a hundred chance I'll get picked, anyway." He smiled. I nodded in agreement, though deep down I knew... one percent didn't seem like a lot, but it was.

"I just..." I took a deep breath and looked down for a moment, then looked back up at him. "I love you. And if you do get chosen, then I will support you, no matter what."

"I love you too, Hermione." He said, and kissed my forehead. I smiled and let him wrap his strong arms around me, holding me close. I heard him sigh, and I closed my eyes, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. After standing by the lake for what felt like hours, we decided to go back to the castle.

We found Harry and Ginny in the courtyard, working on something for class. We went over to them, Cedric sitting on the stone bench beside Harry. I sat at Cedric's feet, on the grass beside Ginny. I looked at her book and saw she was studying for charms. I guessed professor Flitwick had given everyone assignments.

"Where have you guys been?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Cedric found me in the library, then we went for a walk down by the lake..." I looked at Cedric, who smiled at me. Harry nodded, closing his book and looking at Cedric.

"So you finally told her, did you?" Harry asked. I looked quizzically at him... how did he know about Cedric entering the tournament? Unless...

"You told him first?" I looked at Cedric, a bit surprised. He looked into my eyes and nodded, and I understood why. If he told Harry first, Harry would have explained to him how to tell me.

"Sorry, Mione." He said, sounding truly apologetic. I suddenly felt horrible for making him feel that way. I sighed and put my hand on his cheek, making him look at me.

"No, don't be sorry. It's okay, really." I said, smiling. I pulled his face down and kissed him lightly. He looked into my eyes and smiled that special smile that he saved just for me. Even though I was sitting down, I felt my knees go a little weak. I always wondered how he did that... how he always made me feel like I was going to fall over. Maybe it was a guy secret, and we women would never understand how it works.

* * *

I woke the next morning, stretching my arms over my head. Today was the Hogsmeade trip... and my birthday. Even though I felt so much older than my 15 years. I always heard from my parents... and my friends, that I was mature beyond my years. All I cared about was how loved I felt. I pushed the sheets off me and got out of bed, dressing quickly in a pair of jeans and my favorite light blue polo. I slipped on my converse and headed downstairs for breakfast before everyone left for Hogsmeade.

"Morning, Hermione. You look like you're in a good mood today." Neville said, smiling as I sat across from him.

"It's my birthday." I said, smiling back. I took a piece of toast and buttered it, taking a bite.

"Well, happy birthday then." He said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. I smiled my thanks and ate my breakfast quickly, going outside when I was done. I felt surprisingly light and giddy today, not really wanting to do any schoolwork. Well, not until after the Hogsmeade trip, anyway. I walked down by the lake and sat down underneath an oak tree. I sighed and looked up at the sky. It was another warm day, though not as warm as the day before. I closed my eyes and smiled, letting the sun warm my face.

"Hey gorgeous birthday girl. You're going to miss the Hogsmeade trip..." I heard a voice behind me, and I opened my eyes. Had I fallen asleep? I must not have been out for long if they hadn't left for the village yet. I stood and stretched, turning around to see who had come for me, though I already had a feeling I knew who it was.

"Hi Ced." I smiled. "I didn't see you at breakfast this morning..."

"I just ate. C'mon, they're getting ready to leave." He said, smiling and holding out his hand. I took it and smiled, gently squeezing his hand. On the way back up to the castle, we caught up with Harry, Ginny, Fred and George.

"Happy birthday, Hermione!" Ginny said, smiling.

"That's right, today's your birthday." Harry said, patting me on the back. I was still frustrated that Ron was ignoring me, but I wouldn't change my ways. He would have to change his.

We walked down the path to Hogsmeade, talking about what we were going to do with our day. Before we reached Hogsmeade, someone came up and touched my shoulder, making me jump. I let go of Cedric's hand and turned around to see Ron, looking mildly apologetic.

"Hey, Hermione." He said, keeping his eyes away from me. "I, erm... well... sorry. I really am."

"You ruddy well be, Ron..." Ginny sneered at her brother.

"And... happy birthday..." He said, looking up at me. I crossed my arms and looked at him. He shifted uneasily, making me believe that he was really sorry and not just apologizing because he needed help with his homework. I sighed and took a step towards him, smiling and putting my hand on his arm.

"Thank you, Ron." I said. He smiled and walked with us the rest of the way to Hogsmeade. We headed into the Three Broomsticks and Harry ordered a round of butterbeer for all of us. We drank and talked about the tournament, my silly worrying gone for a few hours. Cedric had to excuse himself after a little while, promising to meet me back at the castle.

"Meet me in the library, tonight. I've got rounds. Meet me at eleven..." He whispered in my ear. I looked into his gray eyes and smiled, kissing him before nodding.

"I will." I whispered back. I would have to borrow Harry's invisibility cloak, but it would be worth it.

* * *

It was almost eleven, and I was carefully making my way down to the library. I wasn't too worried about running into any teachers thanks to the invisibility cloak and the Marauder's map. I stopped outside of the library, seeing Cedric's name floating around near the restricted section. I opened the door and stepped quietly into the library.

"Mischief managed." I whispered, tapping the map with my wand. There was no one else in the library, but I still wanted to surprise him, so I kept the invisibility cloak on until I saw him. I walked to where he was, near the table I usually sat at. I smiled and watched him for a moment. He paced back and forth, his hands stuck in his pockets. He didn't look worried, just a little nervous. He was mumbling something I couldn't hear. I decided to take off the cloak and step out from behind the bookcase.

"Hello." I said, smiling. I must have surprised him, because he turned quickly, his eyes lighting up the moment he saw it was me. "Are you okay?"

"Perfect. Now that you're here. I'm sorry I left you in the Three Broomsticks... I had to find you the perfect present."

"Present? Cedric, I... you didn't have to get me anything." I said, walking over to him. He put his hand on my cheek and kissed me. While he was kissing me, he put something in my hand. I pulled away and looked at what he had given me. It was a ring... nothing fancy or expensive, but beautiful nonetheless.

"I didn't spend any money. My mum gave it to me last year. It was hers. She told me to give it to a girl I held close to my heart. I knew it was exactly what I had to give you, so I had my mum send it to me. That was what I had to get when I left." He took the ring from my hand and slipped it around my right ring finger.

"Cedric, it's... lovely. It's the best present I've gotten so far." I said, looking at him and smiling. "Thank you."

"I just wanted to say that... well, I love you. More than anything. I don't think I can stand to be away from you for more than a day. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. And, to be completely honest, I didn't know what to do about this at first. I was just so... nervous and scared. I was afraid you didn't love me the way I loved you. But now I can see that you need me just as much as I need you. I'm not asking you to marry me or anything..."

"Shame..." I interrupted, the two of us smiling.

"Not yet, anyway. I just want to promise you that I will be there for you... always." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and I kissed his cheek.

"I love you too, Ced. And I'll be there when you're ready to ask me." I said, staring into his eyes. The corner of his mouth twitching into his perfectly crooked smile. He kissed me deeply and smiled.

"Now, run along before I give you detention." He smiled, kissing my forehead. I ran my fingers through his brown hair and put on the invisibility cloak. I hurried out of the library and went straight to my dorm, hitting my bed the moment I took the cloak off. I pulled the covers up to my chin and looked out the window, the moon shining brightly. I looked at the ring Cedric gave me, the single, heart-shaped gem in the middle sparkling. My heart jumped and I closed my eyes, falling asleep to dreams of a fairy-tale marriage somewhere in the future.

* * *

  
_Again, sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. Still suffering from writers block... but you all have been so kind and patient with me... thank you all so much for kind reviews... :) You guys are awesome._


	7. Ch 6:: The Hogwarts Champion

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to get up, and I apologize that it's a bit shorter than the others, but I hope you enjoy it! Thank you all for the lovely reviews!! Enjoy!!  
**  
**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, I just love 'em. :D**

* * *

Six  
The Hogwarts Champion

On his birthday, I watched from the side as Cedric, soaked from the rain, put his name into the Goblet of Fire. I was happy that he was doing it, but at the same time, it worried me. Of course, he continuously reminded me that his chances of actually becoming the champion were slim. I sighed and looked back down at my book, my eyes tracing over the same line twice, my mind elsewhere.

"Hello, love." Cedric kissed me on the cheek. I looked at him and smiled. He was drenched.

"You should go change before you catch a cold..." I said softly. I smiled at him, and looked across the room, where Cho was giving me another glare. In the past few weeks, since our relationship had become the growing center of gossip, I had noticed Cho had been staring at me in a menacing way... like she wanted me gone. Not necessarily dead, just out of Cedric's life. It made me... well, uncomfortable.

"I will in a second... what are you looking..." He followed my gaze to Cho, who instantly looked away. He sighed, touching my arm, making me look up at him.

"She's always giving me those mean looks..." I said.

"I don't understand why... she's probably just jealous. I mean, she was the one who broke up with me. I'll try and talk to her, maybe she'll understand." He put his hand on my cheek and kissed me, making all my worries melt away. "I'm going to change. I'll see you at dinner."

"Okay. I love you..." I said, my voice quiet, almost desperate. He stared into my eyes and sighed again, brushing my hair out of my face.

"Don't worry. Everything will be perfect in the end, you'll see. I love you." He kissed my nose and smiled that perfectly crooked smile he saved just for me. I smiled back and watched him walk out of the Great Hall. I looked down at my book, but I was keeping an eye on Cho, to see if she would follow or not. A bit to my surprise, she didn't.

I continued my studying, watching as four or five more people put their names into the Goblet of Fire. Twenty minutes after Cedric went for a shower, people began filing into the Great Hall for dinner. Ginny spotted me and waved, so I closed my book and went to sit beside her. Harry and Ron joined us, and dinner started without a sign of Cedric. When I began to look around and wonder where he had gone off to, someone tugged on the back of my hair, making me turn and look up at the familiar gray eyes smiling down at me. He kissed me quickly, then went over to the Hufflepuff table to sit with his friends.

* * *

The days passed quickly, and on Halloween morning I found myself in the library, reading a good, non-magical, book. I flipped the page and sighed, wishing for a moment that I could somehow be a part of the book. With Jane Austen, there were no wars, no worries... except finding a husband and overcoming the prejudices of society.

"What is that you're reading, love?" Cedric pulled out the chair beside me, looking over my shoulder at the page. "_Sense and Sensibility_? That's unexpected... I was thinking you'd be re-reading _Hogwarts, a History_... again." He chuckled, and I looked at him.

"It's an excellent book..." I said, mock-glaring at him.

"I know, I'm just teasing, Mione. You know I wouldn't pick on your choice of reading." Cedric smiled, brushing my hair back over my shoulder. "So... it's Halloween."

"Don't remind me..." I sighed, turning my eyes back to the book. The prat Willoughby had just broken the news that he had to go to London immediately. No matter how honest his intentions were with Marianne, that part always made me frustrated.

"Mione, stop worrying. Please? Fore me?" He asked, and I looked up into his eyes. He stuck out his bottom lip and looked at me pleadingly. I couldn't help but smile and shake my head.

"I hate when you do that..." I tried not to laugh, but a little giggle escaped.

"What? The puppy-face?" He asked innocently, like he had no idea what I was talking about.

"Exactly. The bloody puppy face always gets me!" I exclaimed, receiving a warning shush and a glare from Madame Pince. I smiled, stifling a laugh, and looked at Cedric. "Did you talk to Cho?" My voice was now a whisper.

"Tried to. She is just so... impossible. Cho thinks I still have feelings for her, and that I'm just trying to make her jealous by dating you." He sighed, tapping his fingers on the table. I could tell he was frustrated, and I suddenly felt bad for making him talk to her. Maybe I should have confronted her myself. I sighed, looking down at my book, my mind wandering. He took my hand and twisted the ring on my finger.

"I'll talk to her." I said, looking at him.

"No, Hermione. Don't worry about it. I don't want you two to get into a fight." Cedric looked into my eyes, concerned.

"I just want to tell her that I don't like her staring at me the way she does. That's all." I said, closing my book. "I'll see you at dinner. Only a little while before we figure out if you'll be the champion or not." I kissed his cheek.

"I love you." He smiled. I bit my lip and stood up, Cedric still holding my hand.

"I love you too." I said, Cedric kissing my hand. I smiled, gathered my things, and left the library. I took the long way to the common room, trying to clear my mind. I was walking the corridor towards the staircase when I felt someone grab my arm roughly. I spun around and found Cho glaring angrily at me.

"Cho, I've been meaning to talk to you..." I started, but she crossed her arms and sighed angrily.

"Look, Granger. I don't know what you think you're doing with Cedric..."

"We're _together_, Cho. Get that through your thick head." I felt my pulse speed up, my cheeks getting red. I had never been so frustrated and angry at someone before.

"Together my arse. Cedric still loves me, and he's using you to make me jealous. I know him, much better than you do. He doesn't love you. If I see you around him again, I swear..."

"Cho, you're delusional. Cedric loves me. Want proof?" I held up my hand, showing her the ring. Her eyes went from my eyes to the ring, then back to me again.

"What the bloody hell is that?" She asked, sounding disgusted.

"His mother's ring. He gave it to me on my birthday..." I smiled, looking at the ring.

"Well," she sounded uneasy. "that doesn't mean anything. Cedric loves me, so you better stop being with him."

"What if he wants to be around me?" I asked, shifting my books and tilting my head. She scowled and tucked her hair behind her ear, crossing her arms.

"Just... stay away from him." She huffed as she stormed off, shoving past me and mumbling something I couldn't hear. I sighed and continued to the common room, giving the Fat Lady the password and walking into the common room. Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen, so I went up to my room to put away my books. I sat on my bed and looked out the window at the lake.

"Hey, Hermione." I heard a voice behind me and I turned to see Ginny walking into my room. She smiled and came to sit beside me on the bed. "You okay?"

"Yeah. It's just this whole issue with Cho and the Triwizard tournament has my mind in a bottle right now. I know that Cedric has a slim chance of getting picked to be the champion, but what if he does? What if he's the champion, then something bad happens to him? How will I live with it? I just can't stand the..."

"Hermione, you worry too much. Stop, take a deep breath and just appreciate what you have, right now. Don't think about what's going to happen tomorrow. That's your problem. You worry too much about the future that you don't think about what you have now." Ginny said, being oddly insightful.

"You're right," I sighed. I hated admitting when I was wrong.

"Let's just go downstairs and have dinner. We'll find out who the champions are, but no matter what happens, you have to promise me that you won't worry. If Cedric gets picked, think of it as a good thing and not a bad one. Don't worry. Just... be happy about what you have now, not what you're going to have tomorrow." Ginny patted my leg and got up. "Come on, I'm famished."

"Me too." I smiled, standing up and letting her drag me downstairs to the Great Hall, where we took our seats at the table. Since the arrival of the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, people hadn't been sitting at their house tables, so when Cedric sat beside me for dinner, I wasn't surprised. I decided I was going to wait to tell him about what Cho said.

Dinner passed quickly, and while everyone was sitting, full and happy, Dumbledore stood and quietly waited for everyone to quiet down. As usual, people quickly became silent, giving Dumbledore the respect he deserved.

"Now the moment you've all been waiting for, the champion selection." He said, holding up his hand. Instantly, the lights around the Great Hall dimming save for the floating pumpkins above the tables. Everyone's attention went to the Goblet of Fire, and I felt Cedric's hand take mine, gently squeezing it. The blue fire coming from the Goblet changed, turning red. We all waited, moments passing slowly, until the fire spit out the first piece of charred parchment.

"The Durmstrang champion is... Viktor Krum!" Cheers erupted from the Durmstrangs and any fan of Krum in the hall. I smiled and politely clapped for a moment, my hand finding Cedric's again quickly. Once more, we waited for the blue flames to spit out another name. When it did, I waited, holding my breath.

"The champion from Beauxbatons is... miss Fleur Delacour!" Claps again, as the pretty blond in her blue uniform stood and shook Dumbledore's hand, following Krum out of the Great Hall through the door by the Professor's table. Only one champion left, and I felt my stomach tie in a knot.

"It's okay..." Cedric whispered in my ear, kissing my neck. My heart fluttered for a moment before the Goblet spit out another charred name.

"The Hogwart's champion is..." Dumbledore's pause seemed longer this time, and I felt my breath catch in my lungs. Cedric's grip on my hand tightened a little. "Cedric Diggory!"

Cheers erupted from our table, all of the Hufflepuff house practically screaming. Or at least that was what it sounded like to me for a moment. I felt a lump in my throat, and Cedric stood, letting go of my hand. I forced a smile and watched him shake Dumbledore's hand and follow the other two through the door.

I didn't hear what Dumbledore said after that, but I watched as the fire glowed red once more, spitting out another name. I saw Dumbledore's expression go from curiosity to anger as he read the name on the piece of parchment.

"Harry... Potter." His voice was quiet at first when he looked up to search the Great Hall for Harry, who was sitting right across from me. I kicked his foot and he looked up at me. "Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called, angry now.

"Go!" I hissed at him, and watched as he slowly made his way to the front. People called out that he was a cheat, and I felt my heart sink. Not only was the one I loved risking his neck for this bloody tournament, but somehow Harry had gotten chosen as a second Hogwarts champion.

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, trying to convince myself that everything would be alright in the end.

* * *

  
_I hope you enjoyed, please review and tell me what you think! 3_


	8. CH 7:: The Astronomy Tower

**A/N: Hola readers!! I'm quite surprised at how quickly I got this chapter finished... Breaking Dawn came out yesterday and I'm almost finished with it... ALREADY! For those who haven't read it yet, I won't say more than it's fantastic. For those who have read it... OOH! Message me and tell me what you thought... I like hearing what others thought about a book I'm reading too. Ah, so, without further ado... chapter Seven!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it, please don't sue me!**

* * *

Seven  
The Astronomy Tower

After everyone left the Great Hall, I needed to be alone somewhere. I still had Harry's invisibility cloak, mostly because he hadn't asked for it back yet, so I put it on and snuck to the Astronomy tower, where I knew no one would be. I sighed and looked up at the sky, wishing somehow that tonight's events were just a dream. But in my heart, I knew that they weren't.

I didn't know how much time had passed before I heard the door to the tower open, making me jump. I turned to see who it was, surprised a little at the messy brown hair and familiar smile I saw.

"I thought I'd find you here." He said, coming to sit by me. "You're freezing."

"Am I?" I asked. I hadn't noticed the cold until just now. He put his arm around me and held me close to him.

"So Harry's the fourth champion. Dumbledore thinks someone bewitched the cup and put Harry's name in." Cedric said. "I just don't understand who could have done it. I mean, I wouldn't be able to do something like that, I doubt a seventh year would be able to do it either. So I bet one of the teachers has it in for him."

"Like who?" I asked, leaning against Cedric, his body keeping me warm.

"Hermione, stop it." He said, kissing my hair. "I'm going to be fine. I won't die, I promise." His hand rubbed my arm comfortingly. I couldn't help but smile and close my eyes for a moment.

"I talked to Cho." I whispered, not looking up at him. "I didn't argue with her, but she seemed a bit... hard-headed about the whole thing. I can't believe that she still thinks you love her. I mean, I know you're with me and all, but when she said those things, it still hurt."

"Cho is a bloody idiot, Hermione," Cedric said, pulling away and looking into my eyes, his nose almost touching mine. "I love you, don't ever doubt that. Promise me you won't ever doubt a word I tell you." He stared into my eyes, his words gentle but forceful somehow. I put my forehead to his, making him smile.

"I promise." I whispered.

"Now, promise me that you won't worry about me or the Tournament."

"Can I worry about Harry?"

"No!" He said, the two of us breaking into laughter for a moment. His face became serious again, his hand resting on my cheek. "Promise me."

"I promise." I breathed, his eyes intoxicating. He kissed my forehead and held me close to his chest. My ear rested against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the rest of the world melt away. All that mattered was right now, just like Ginny told me. Cedric and I were alone, together. I didn't think about what would happen tomorrow, or next week. I just thought about the two of us together... right now.

* * *

The days passed, and I felt my worries fade slowly. Cho was still giving me rude looks whenever she saw Cedric and I together, but her looks just urged me to be closer to him. Harry was stressed more than usual, and Ron and I helped as best as we could, but friends could only do so much.

With all the controversy surrounding Harry being chosen as a champion, Harry had been getting more press than anyone. That Rita Skeeter woman didn't help at all, telling lies about Harry and such. Thankfully she hadn't published any stories about Cedric or his romantic life with me. Knowing Skeeter, she would have written something completely false about our relationship just so her readers had something to gossip about.

"Harry, just ignore it." I whispered to him. Some of the students had begun to wear badges that proclaimed Cedric as the true Hogwarts champion, then swirled into the saying 'Potter Stinks'. "I'll ask Cedric if he can get his friends to stop wearing them."

"Hermione," He sighed, looking at me and rubbing his forehead. "you're a great friend. Have I told you that lately?" He smiled.

"No." I shook my head, stifling a laugh. "When is the first task?" I asked, changing the subject.

"The 24th." He sighed.

"Isn't that next week?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. He nodded, poking at his breakfast. I felt someone slide onto the bench beside me, and I smiled.

"Morning, Cedric." Harry said, looking up for a moment, then back down at his plate.

"Cedric, you know those badges that everyone seems to be wearing?" I asked, touching his prefect's badge.

"I've tried to get my mates to stop wearing them, but they won't listen to me..."

"Threaten 'em with detention..." Ron said, smirking. "I know I bloody would."

"Ron..." I sighed, shaking my head. But Cedric sighed, putting his hand on top of mine.

"Maybe he's right. People don't like getting detention..." He said thoughtfully. He looked at me and smirked. I sighed and shook my head, bringing a forkful of eggs to my mouth. "Wow... you're even beautiful with a mouthful."

"Haha..." I said after I swallowed. Cedric raised his eyebrows, trying to be convincing.

"I'm serious." He said, but I could tell that he was trying not to smile. Playfully, I punched his arm, nearly making Ron spurt pumpkin juice out of his nose. Finally, something made Harry laugh. But Cedric played the hurt part well, rubbing his arm like I left a bruise.

"That _hurt!_" He said, and I noticed he wasn't joking. I suddenly felt awful.

"You should have seen the way she jabbed Malfoy in the nose last year." Ron pointed out, recovering from his fit quickly. "It was amazing."

"He deserved it, though." I said, truthfully. "Malfoy's a git. But I didn't mean to hurt you, Ced. Really." I said, touching his arm gently. He smiled and brushed my hair back over my shoulder.

"It's okay, love. I just know that you have some force behind that pretty little face of yours." He smiled, his fingers brushing my cheek lightly. I blinked, my eyes staying closed for an extended moment.

Breakfast ended too fast, and Cedric walked me to my first class... as usual. Potions wasn't a wonderful class to have first thing in the morning, but at least it was over early. He kissed my forehead, promising to see me at lunch. I stood in the hall, watching him walk away for a moment before going into the classroom and taking my usual seat beside Harry. The day dragged on, as usual, but when I saw Cedric in the hall, we stopped and talked for a moment. He had managed to snatch a bunch of badges from people, and was keeping them in his bag until the end of the day.

"What should I do with them?" He asked as we began walking towards the transfiguration classroom.

"Burn them..." I joked.

"Good idea..." He said, looking at me and smiling. I sighed and shook my head.

"I'll see you at lunch." I said, pushing myself onto my tip-toes and kissing him. He brushed my hair behind my ear and smiled.

"Love you, little miss bookworm." He smiled, making me blush. I tried to mask my smile, but it didn't work.

"I love you too." I said, ducking into the classroom before he could call me another embarrassing nickname. I heard his almost musical laughter as I took my seat, my cheeks blushing red once more. Thankfully, class passed quickly, and I felt like I was almost running to the Great Hall for lunch. Trying to convince my mind that I was hungry failed miserably, and I searched guiltlessly for Cedric. I must have made it here before him, so I took a seat at what was usually the Gryffindor table, but nobody cared about who's house belonged at what table anymore.

"Hermione," Ginny started, sounding exasperated. "this bloody potions work is killing me, you have to help..." she begged, her eyes helpless.

"I'll help." I said, nodding and taking a swig of pumpkin juice that I had poured into a goblet. Ginny and I were chatting about potions, me helping her figure it out, when Cedric plopped down onto the bench beside me. I smiled and pecked him on the lips lightly. I glanced over Ginny's shoulder for a moment, seeing Cho. I couldn't help but smirk at her and shrug my shoulders, turning my attention back to Ginny's notes and her potions book.

"What are you ladies working on?" Cedric asked, peaking over my shoulder.

"Potions..." I said, covering my mouthful of biscuit. He smiled and shook his head.

"Miss Granger... I thought you had manners..." He tisked me, mocking a disappointed look, and I smiled, swallowing what was left in my mouth and sticking out my tongue.

"You asked, and I didn't want to make you wait... Mister Diggory." I said, smirking. Harry and Ron joined us then, looking incredibly entertained.

"What'd we miss?" Ginny asked, looking at her brother and Harry, who seemed to be in pain they had been laughing so hard.

"Professor Moody..." Ron snorted. "Malfoy..."

"Ferret!" Harry laughed.

"Oh Merlin..." I sighed, shaking my head.

"What about Moody and a ferret?" Cedric perked up, looking genuinely curious. Once Ron and Harry had calmed down, they wiped the tears from their eyes and took a deep breath.

"Moody transfigured Malfoy into a ferret." Harry said, looking overjoyed.

"O'course, McGonagall had to come and ruin the fun." Ron said, jabbing his fork into a biscuit and shoving it into his mouth. Ginny sighed, looking disgusted at her brother. "Wha? Immungry." He mumbled. Cedric snorted a laugh as Harry started telling the story of Malfoy the Ferret.

* * *

The day ended quickly, and while I was in my room working on some homework, I found a note that had been stuffed into my bag. It had wedged in between the pages of my Transfiguration book, telling me to be at the Astronomy tower at midnight. Cedric signed it, then wrote a post-script telling me to dress warmly. I smiled, putting the note in the drawer where I knew it would be safe. I smiled to myself and looked at the clock. Eleven. I would leave in half an hour, giving myself plenty of time to finish up my homework and get up to the tower by midnight.

I found myself lying on my bed, staring at the clock at eleven twenty-nine. The second the big hand hit the six, I bounded out of bed, throwing the invisibility cloak over me, adding another layer to the three I already had on. I was wearing jeans, thick socks, sneakers, a t-shirt, a sweater, and my jacket. I made my way to the Astronomy tower by eleven-fifty. I took off the invisibility cloak and looked around for a moment. It was unusually dark out tonight, but when I looked up at the sky, I saw why. A blue moon... a lunar eclipse. I smiled at the peace of everything for a moment, the stars shining brighter tonight than any other night. Usually, the moon out-shined everything, but, once in a blue moon, the stars got the spotlight.

"Hermione," I heard Cedric breathe my name quietly behind me. I turned and smiled, looking at him. From where I was standing, he was simply a tall silhouette, but when he stepped closer, the stars shined in his gray eyes. He kissed my forehead, wrapping his arms around my waist. Something was wrong, he seemed off. Tense. Worried about something. I pulled away from him, keeping my hands on his arms.

"What is wrong?" I asked, my brow furrowed and my tone more serious than I had intended. He sighed, forcing a smile and brushing my hair back.

"I'm telling you that you're the one that needs to stop worrying, and here I am, nervous as hell about this first task. Harry told me today that Hagrid took him to the forest to see what it was." He said, his voice nervous now. "Dragons." He whispered, and my eyes went wide.

"Barking mad..." I whispered, shaking my head.

"We have to fight bloody dragons, Hermione! What am I going to do?" He let go of me, turning and storming twenty paces away from me. I felt helpless, crossing my arms and shifting uneasily.

"I don't know, Cedric." I said, looking at his back. I saw the outline of his shoulders heave with a sigh, and he turned, walking slowly back to me, pulling me into his arms tightly.

"I'm just nervous, Hermione." He mumbled, his lips pressing against my hair. "More nervous than I've ever been before. I can't even compare this to that feeling before a quiddich match... because that's a happy kind of nervous. This is more a sick to my stomach kind of nervous."

"Cedric, stop..." I said gently, pulling away and looking into his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just... I'm nervous." He said. "My mind can't wrap around how in the world I'm going to figure this out." He kissed my forehead and pulled me against his chest again. I listened to his uneven, nervous heartbeat and his deep breaths. I didn't know what I could do to help him. For the first time in a long time, I felt useless. Like there was nothing I could do but stand on the sidelines and watch, silently hoping for the best.

_I hope you enjoyed, please review! I'm off to read Breaking Dawn again... :D_


	9. CH 8:: The First Task

**A/N: Here's chapter 8 for everyone. I am slightly surprised at myself how quickly I wrote this one. It might be a little iffy, but overall, I'm satisfied with it. I honestly can't wait to write the Yule Ball chapter... I'm already excited for it. lol. I'd just like to shout out to the Harry Potter Wikia for keeping me sane and on-track with things that are supposed to happen in the books and such, though I'm going more off the movie. But it helps to have it there... lol. Anyway, here it is, I hope you enjoy it!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, please don't sue me!**

* * *

Eight  
The First Task

The week went by quickly and, after many study sessions preparing Cedric to face the dragon, it was November 24th. Cedric, Harry, and the other champions had to meet up an hour ahead of the task. Cedric and I talked quickly before he had to leave.

"Don't forget what we talked about..." I said, putting my hand over his thudding heart. He took a deep breath and nodded, looking into my eyes. His hand covered mine for a moment before he wrapped his arms around me in a crushing hug. I closed my eyes, willing the tears away. When he pulled away, he smiled confidently. It was the first time in a week the worry and nerves weren't in his eyes.

"I love you. And I'll be fine." He said, sounding truthful. I smiled, fixing his hair and kissing his cheek.

"I love you too. And you'll be _perfect_." I corrected, smiling. He kissed me, his lips crushing down on mine, forcefully but gently. He whispered another 'I love you' before hurrying off to join the other champions. I sighed and went up to my room to get dressed for the task. I put on a pair of faded blue jeans, a turtleneck sweater, and a jacket. I tied my sneakers and went down to the common room, where Ginny, Ron and I walked to the arena for the first task. We were standing with the rest of the Gryffindor students for a moment, when I looked at my watch and snuck away from the crowd, going to the tent near the arena.

"Pst!" I hissed, hoping someone would hear me.

"Yeah?" It was Harry, and I took a deep breath.

"Harry? Look, I'm sorry I haven't helped you prepare for this..." I shoved aside the canvas of the tent, and I hugged him. "Just... focus. Remember what Moody told you."

"Hermione..." Cedric came over, throwing his arms around me and holding me close for a moment. He kissed the top of my head and looked at me, a worried smile on his face. "are you alright?"

"Yeah, Ced, I just came to see Harry for a minute. I haven't helped him through this as much as I've helped you this week..." I said, Cedric pressing a finger to my lips to silence me.

"I understand, love." He smiled. Just then, Dumbledore burst into the tent, followed by the small Mr. Crouch who was carrying a small blue pouch. I kissed Cedric one last time before quickly making an exit, making my way back to where I was standing with Ginny, Ron, Neville, and a few other Gryffindors. We waited excitedly for the first person to start. The dragon waiting for the task to start, roared loudly, tugging on her chain.

I waited, suddenly hearing the Hufflepuffs chanting Cedric's name. He was first? Ginny took my hand, cheering loudly. I watched, focusing on Cedric stepping slowly into the ring. Slow, so as not to attract too much attention at first. I could only imagine the pages and pages of information we studied over the past few days. He was trying to figure out what to do. I saw his hand grip his wand tighten, and he transfigured a rock across the arena into a dog, who barked and gained the attention of the dragon.

Cedric went for the golden egg in the center. The dragon had been distracted long enough by the dog to not notice Cedric's movements, but almost the second he grabbed the egg, the dragon turned her attention and roared angrily, going for Cedric. He managed to get out of the way partially, my heart jumped as the dragon blew fire in his direction. I gasped, scared, but the fire hardly hit his face before the handlers were in the ring, enchanting the dragon to sleep to get it out of the arena. Everyone was cheering for Cedric, who held the egg above his head as he was escorted out of the arena by Madame Pomfry.

I had to wait for Harry to finish, so I watched patiently as Fleur nearly lost her skirt. Then Krum, who blinded the dragon, causing it to stumble around and crush some of the real eggs. Harry was last, and I watched as he summoned his broomstick. We all were worried when he flew towards the castle, the dragon taking off after him, breaking her chain. But when he reappeared, everyone burst into excited cheers. He landed safely in the arena and scooped up his egg without a problem.

Dumbledore then appeared, followed by the rest of the judges, to announce the placement of the champions. Viktor and Harry were tied for first place, with Cedric coming in second, and Fleur in third. When we were finally dismissed, I went as fast as I could to the hospital wing, checking first on Harry, who assured me he was perfectly fine, only a few minor scratches.

"Cedric..." I said, sitting on his bed by his legs. His face was red, it looked like Madame Pomfry had already put the burn ointment on, the tube sitting on the table next to the bed. "you look awful" I sighed, brushing his hair back.

"I've had worse, trust me Mione. Madame Pomfry says it'll be gone by morning." He smiled, taking my hand. "They told me I got second. Viktor and Harry tied for first. Good for him. I never would have thought of a broom."

"You were brilliant." I said, smiling. "You did perfect."

"All I could think about was you. I mean it. The whole time I was trying to concentrate on what we studied, but the only thing I could see in the back of my mind was you." He took my hand and squeezed it.

"Well, at least you're past the dragons..." I said, smiling.

"It's bound to get more difficult, though. I'm sure. I haven't opened the egg yet, but I heard Krum did. After hearing it, I'm not so sure I want to." He sighed, looking at the golden egg sitting on the bedside table, the surface gleaming in the light.

"Was it bad?" I asked, and he nodded.

"It was like a dozen women screaming all at once." He said, his brow creasing. "I don't know what kind of clue that is, but it's bloody confusing." He sighed, running his free hand through his ruffled hair.

"We'll figure it out, Ced." I smiled. "We have until February, right? No worries." I looked into his gray eyes, and he smiled, squeezing my hand.

"I'm taking the rest of this month off..." He sighed, making me laugh. We spoke for another hour or so before Madame Pomfry was telling me that I needed to go and let Cedric get his rest. I sighed, kissing his forehead before leaving, and promising that I'd be back first thing in the morning.

* * *

As promised, I woke just after seven in the morning to dress and see Cedric in the Hospital wing. When I arrived, Madame Pomfry told me he was still sleeping. She suggested I go downstairs and eat before I see him. I sighed, a bit disappointed, and turned to walk downstairs to the Great Hall, where very few people were milling about, half-asleep still. I ate breakfast, trying to do it slowly, but it didn't work. I decided that I would take a blueberry muffin up to Cedric. They were incredibly delicious today, perfectly cooked.

When I returned to the Hospital wing a little more than half an hour later, Madame Pomfry let me see Cedric with an annoyed sigh. I guess she finally realized there was no stopping me from seeing him, sleeping or not. When I walked around his privacy curtain, he was awake. Well, just barely, anyway. I smiled, holding out the muffin like a peace offering.

"Oh, muffin. You brought me a muffin. I love you." He smiled, sounding exhausted. I sat beside him on the bed, handing him the muffin. He took it graciously, leaning forward to kiss me lightly. I noticed his face looked much better today. It just looked like he had stayed in the sun a little too long instead of having been burned by a dragon.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked, resting my hand on his leg. He sighed and shook his head, biting into the muffin.

"Hardly slept at all." He said. "I kept tossing and turning. These bloody beds are awful to sleep on. So uncomfortable."

"I know..." I sighed, thinking of second year when I had been petrified. Though I had only remembered spending one night in the bed.

"Can I pry for a moment, love?" He asked, biting into the muffin again.

"About what?" I asked, wondering what he could be so curious about.

"What's it like to be petrified?" He asked, looking like a child waiting for a mother to tell a story. I sighed, tilting my head to the side, trying to remember as best as I could.

"Well..." My brow furrowed, trying to find the best way to put it. "It's like... sleeping, I suppose. Except you don't dream. I guess it's like the magical version of being in a coma."

"Hm..." He nodded, smiling. He offered me a piece of the muffin, and I smiled, taking it. "So how many times did you come by before Madame Pomfry let you see me?"

"Once. Well, The first time I came by it was just after seven, and she told me you were still asleep. So I went to eat breakfast, and came back half an hour later. I guess she just knew that she couldn't keep me away from you." I smiled, and he kissed my hand.

"It would be the same for me, love." He said, his eyes lighting up. I smiled, a faint blush rising in my cheeks. "You look so amazing when you blush like that." I looked at him, quickly looking away again, my pink cheeks probably turning bright red by now. I heard him laugh and I turned my eyes back to his, holding his gaze for a moment. He looked away this time, taking my hand and kissing my fingers.

"Mr. Diggory..." Madame Pomfry came around the curtain, carrying some clothes, which she put on the end of his bed. "you can go. The redness should clear up by this evening. If it's not gone by morning, come see me." She glanced at me before leaving.

"I'll let you get dressed then," I kissed his forehead. "I'll wait for you in the hallway." I squeezed his hand lightly before leaving the ward. I leaned against the stone wall next to the door, taking a deep breath. Cedric came out a moment later, his golden egg under his arm, his free hand extended towards me.

"Shall we take a walk, then?" He asked, smiling.

"Wherever are we going?" I asked, taking his hand, my cheeks blushing again.

"I'm going to put this stupid thing in my room, then we can go sit in the library. Maybe there's a book on what to do with golden eggs." He said. I followed him to the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room, insisting that I stay out here. I didn't want to invade the privacy of another house's common room. So, I waited patiently outside the portrait of an Indian woman wearing a traditional wedding sari. She was eying me curiously, tapping her hennaed foot quietly on the bottom of her portrait.

"Waiting for someone..." I said quietly, and the woman huffed a sigh. I shook my head and rolled my eyes, wondering what she wanted from me. Instead of getting into an argument with a portrait, I kept my mouth closed, leaning my head back against the stone wall.

Cedric finally came back, saving me from the incessantly annoying portrait woman, and we headed to the library, hand in hand. When we got there, we sat down at our usual table, the only other person in the library at this hour was Madame Pince, who looked at us over her glasses as we walked in, smiling brightly at her. She must have thought we were crazy to be awake so early on a Saturday morning.

Since I could have read it backwards in pig Latin, we skipped over _Hogwarts, a History_. There was nothing in there that could have helped at all. Cedric, being a prefect and all, managed to get us into the restricted section. I doubted there would be anything there, but I was overruled. Unfortunately, the books weren't titled with obvious things, such as _How to Decipher Your Golden Egg_, or _Secret Eggs: Uncovering What Lies in the Yolk_.

We sorted through useless book after useless book, spending hours in the library. Cedric looked at his watch and sighed, closing the book he had been reading, sending dust flying in all directions. He looked at me and shook his head. I looked at my watch and saw why he was so distressed. It was nearly dinner time.

"A whole day wasted." He said, shoving the book back onto the shelf so hard I thought he would knock down the whole bookcase.

"Ced," I sighed, closing my book and putting it back, more gently than he had. "let's go outside. The sun is shining and I'm sure it's warmer out than it was yesterday."

"Okay." He said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. We walked outside and, just as I had predicted, it was warmer than the previous day. Of course, yesterday the clouds had blocked out the sun, but today the sky was blue, only wispy, light clouds floating harmlessly past the sun. We wandered down to the lake, talking about nothing, as we usually did.

When it boiled down to it, Cedric and I were like magnets. Not so much the "opposites attract" part of being a magnet, but the fact that, when one was near the other, there was a force pulling them together. With Ced and I there was a special bond, a force holding us together. It was nearly impossible to separate us. We were stuck with one another, the way the Earth was stuck with the moon. It wasn't a bad thing, because what would the Earth be without the moon? Better yet, what would the _moon _be without the Earth? A rock drifting aimlessly in space, unknown to anything. But, thanks to the gravitational pull between the two, the moon was there for the Earth. And with a bit of luck, it would always be there, lighting up the nights, keeping the Earth company.

* * *

_So, there you have it. The first task is finished. I hope you enjoyed, please review and tell me what you think!!_


	10. CH 9:: Dance Lessons

**A/N: I know the last chapter seemed a little rushed, so I took a little more time on this one, I hope you guys like it. I'd like to shout out to all my readers and reviewers... thank you all so much. You guys are like my writing caffeine, you're so awesome. Thank you all.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.  
**

* * *

Nine  
Dance Lessons

The Friday after the first task, all four houses had meetings with their head professor. So, after lunch, Cedric and I parted to go see what our house head's wanted. All of the Gryffindors were in an empty classroom, with Filch setting up a huge gramophone near the door. The boys were sitting on once side, the girls on the other. I took a seat next to Ginny just as McGonagall started talking.

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard tournament since its inception. On Christmas night, everyone will gather in the Great Hall for a night of _well-mannered frivolity_. I expect all of you to put your best foot forward, literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance." She said, the boys breaking out in sighs, and the girls chattering excitedly. This would finally give us a chance to dress up in something that looked... well, _nice._

The rest of the meeting went by quite hilariously. I don't think I would ever forget Ron dancing with Professor McGonagall. Of course, I don't think Fred, George, or even Harry for that matter, would ever let him live it down. The dance lessons continued for only an hour, professor McGonagall instructing us all to practice in our free time. All of us left the room, Ginny, Harry and I suffering from a fit of laughs about Ron dancing. We made our way to the Great Hall, where all the other students were milling about, some going to their common rooms, others going outside. But many students were sitting in the Great Hall, chatting about what they were going to wear and who they were going to ask.

"Boo!" Cedric grabbed my shoulders from behind, pulling me against his chest. I laughed and turned around, kissing his cheek.

"So, Mister Diggory, who shall you be asking to the Yule Ball?" I pondered, turning around jokingly, Cedric playfully grabbing one of my curls. We began walking into the Great Hall when I heard another voice behind us.

"Hi, Ced." We turned around to see Cho standing there with an innocent smile spread across her face. My cheeks instantly went red with frustration. What did she want?

"What is it, Cho?" Cedric asked, still gripping my hand. I peeked around him, glaring at her. She glanced at me, her smile still plastered on her face but her eyes filled with malice.

"So, I know you're still hanging around with that Granger girl..." She started, but Cedric cut her off.

"I'm not just hanging around with her, Cho. She's my _girlfriend_." He said, pronouncing each syllable of the word like he was talking to a child.

"Whatever. Anyway, I just wanted to know when you're going to get over trying to make me jealous and ask me to the Yule Ball." She said, fluttering her eyelashes at him flirtatiously. I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

"Cho... I won't be asking you. In fact..." He turned around to face me, taking both hands in his, and smiling. "Miss Granger, would go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"Why, I thought you'd never ask..." I said, smiling and feeling a faint blush creep into my cheeks. I wasn't concerned with Cho anymore. Cedric and I walked into the Great Hall, his arm around my waist.

* * *

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_I am almost positive that you already knew about the Yule Ball  
and the Triwizard tournament going on this year. So I will spare some of the  
details. Cedric was chosen as the Hogwarts champion... but, I'm sure you read the  
Daily Prophet, so I bet you already know that Harry also got chosen. Dumbledore  
suspects foul play, but Harry still has to compete because the Goblet signifies a  
binding magical contract. The first task was a couple weeks ago, and Harry tied for  
first with the champion from Durmstrang. Cedric came in second.  
The second task isn't until February, and on Christmas night is the Yule  
Ball. So, mum, I am begging you to send me something very nice for the Ball. But  
nothing too girly or too pink, please. You know that periwinkle is my favorite color, so  
something blue would be nice.  
Anyway, I hope you are doing well, I cannot wait to hear from you. Classes  
are going very well, and I hope to hear from you soon. Please write, I love you both  
dearly. X's and O's -Hermione_

I blew on the ink gently, then addressed it to my parents. Cedric was chatting with his mates, so I had decided to take some time to write to my parents and tell them what had been going on. Though I had no doubt they already knew.

"Harry, mind if I borrow Hedwig?" I asked, looking at him after I sealed my letter.

"Sure, go ahead." He said, not even looking up from his Transfiguration homework. I sighed and wrapped my scarf around my neck, heading outside and pulling my robes tighter around me. The snow had begun falling harder since this morning. I trudged through the snow up to the owlry, calling Hedwig. She flew down from her high perch and landed on my outstretched arm. I gave her the letter, instructing her to take it to my parents. She hooted, making me smile, and took off, flying through one of the high windows. I rubbed my arms and felt my teeth chatter. I hurried down the slippery steps as fast as I could, almost falling onto my bottom more than once. But when I reached the foot of the stairs, strong arms caught me up into a hug. I looked up into the familiar gray eyes and smiled.

"What are you doing out here? I asked. "It's freezing."

"Coming to look for you. Harry said something about you borrowing his owl, so I assumed you were sending out a letter to your parents." He said, brushing my hair back. "Your hair is so pretty with the snow in it." I looked up at his hair, the snowflakes frosting the tips of his light brown hair.

"So does yours..." I said, laughing a little. He shook his head, the snow flying off, only to be replaced a second later by bigger, fatter snowflakes.

"It's no use..." He said, smiling. "Shall we go inside, where it's warmer? They have some nice hot chocolate in the Great Hall." I nodded and smiled, putting my hand through his arm as we started walking towards the castle.

Once inside, we sat down with Ginny, Fred, and George, and enjoyed the hot chocolate. Ginny was asked multiple times who she was going to the ball with, but she wouldn't tell.

"Come on, Ginny!" George pestered her ruthlessly about it.

"Who are you bloody going with then, hm?" Ginny asked, tired of their constant questions. "Leave me alone, you two. Hermione, I'll see you upstairs." She slammed her books closed and left the Great Hall. I looked disapprovingly at Fred and George, who were trying to look as innocent as a pair of seven year olds.

"You two are bloody brilliant." I said, standing up and walking out. I wasn't sure where I was going, but I just wanted to get away. Halfway to the library, I felt someone grab my wrist and laugh.

"Hermione, forget someone?" I turned to see Cedric holding my wrist and smiling. I had completely forgotten that he had been sitting beside me when I stormed out of the hall.

"Oh, Ced." I breathed, putting my arms around him. "I'm sorry, I was just so frustrated with Fred and George, I guess I must have forgotten you were there... I'm sorry..." I trailed off, but he had been laughing lightly the whole time, so I knew there was no problem. He kissed the top of my head and put his arms around me, holding me closer to him.

"It's okay, love. Really." He said. "Stop apologizing."

"Sorry," I mumbled, and he laughed again. He pulled away and looked into my eyes, kissing my forehead. He smiled again, but something was different about this smile. He had a look in his eyes that told me he was up to something. But I tried to think nothing of it when he dragged me down the hall and into an empty classroom. I began wondering what we were doing here, looking around the classroom. It looked just like every other empty room in Hogwarts, except that the windows weren't covered in dust from years of not being cleaned, there were no desks in the room, no chairs. I walked over to one of the many tall windows and looked outside, seeing the lake. Some first years, dressed in more layers than a five year old on a freezing cold day, were tossing rocks into the lake. It hadn't frozen over yet, surprisingly, but it was still early December.

"What is this for?" I asked, turning around and looking at Cedric. He was standing near the door, hands in his pockets, just watching me. Like he was waiting for a bad reaction to something. His eyes, locked with mine, were burning brightly with a fire I had never seen in him before. His hands came out of his pockets as he walked towards me, closing the small gap in a few paces. His arms went around me quickly, pulling me close against him. With one hand, he pulled out his wand, mumbled an incantation of some sort, and put his wand away. Before I knew it, he spun me around, and we were dancing. I heard piano music coming from somewhere, but I wasn't sure where the piano was.

"Cedric..." I whispered, looking up at him. "what in the world are we doing?"

"I'm giving you dancing lessons," he whispered back, kissing me. "now, be quiet and follow my lead." I was instantly silenced by another kiss. I sighed and followed where he led me, pulling me this way and that, sweeping me halfway across the empty room in one graceful movement. I was sure that I must have looked positively silly. But all I could think about was trying to figure out where he learned to dance the way he was dancing.

The playing changed, still a piano playing, but a bit slower now, spinning into a song that sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. Before I could really listen to it, Cedric spun me again, pulling me closer to him, if that was at all possible. He smiled his perfectly crooked smile and continued dancing. I looked at him, his seemingly effortless movements, and wondered for a moment if there was anything he couldn't do. He was an excellent student, amazingly good kisser, great quiddich player, and now he was a dancer? I also began to wonder how I got so lucky. How did an average girl like me manage to be the girlfriend of such a perfect person?

"Careful, Mione," He smiled again, looking into my eyes still. "your forehead might just get stuck like that..." he said, and I instantly realized that I had my brow furrowed, trying to figure everything out.

"Where did you learn to dance like this?" I asked, looking at him. He looked at me, curiously, for a moment, then answered my question.

"I took dance lessons a couple summers ago. It was nothing I ever thought I'd be good at, I just did it to pass the time. You know how boring summers can be for a... magical person." He said. I knew exactly what he meant. After I got my letter pretty much telling me I was a witch, my summers had never been the same.

"Well, you mos t certainly are very good at it..." I said, making him smile. He spun me around again and continued sweeping me across the floor of the empty classroom. We danced for a little longer, until he stopped, taking out his wand and silencing the invisible piano.

"You are amazing, too." He said, kissing my forehead.

"All I was doing was following your lead." I said, smiling. He smiled and looked into my eyes again. That fire was still there, burning passionately. I wondered for a moment what had sparked it, but in that moment, he put his hand behind my head, pressing his lips to mine. I closed my eyes and felt my breath catch in my lungs. His free arm wrapped around me, holding me close to him. This kiss was different from other kisses. It was deeper, more passionate than anything I've ever experienced before. If I wasn't dependent on oxygen, I would have stayed like that for forever. But when I pulled away from him, our foreheads and noses were still touching. His fingers brushed my cheek, pushing my hair behind my ear. I felt a smile twitch at the corner of my mouth, and he kissed my nose.

"Shall we see if it's dinner time yet?" He whispered, something in his voice making my knees go weak. All I could do was nod in agreement as he led me out of the room and downstairs to the Great Hall.

* * *

_So there you have it, chapter nine. Ten will be up shortly. Small forewarning, I'll be going on a vacation for a couple weeks at the beginning of September, but not to worry. I'll let you know when it gets closer. In the meantime, review! Thanks to all for reading, again, you guys are awesome._


	11. CH 10:: Underwater

**A/N: So, here it is, the long-awaited chapter ten. Sorry it took so long. This one was difficult, mostly because I was just trying to fill in the gap between the last chapter and the Yule Ball . I know this one's short and a bit cheesy, but bear with me, I promise the next one will be better!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, please don't sue me!**

* * *

Ten  
Underwater

So the days went by, and the holidays brought with it many essays for every class. Happy Christmas, indeed. Cedric began to wonder if he'd taken too many N.E.W.Ts classes, but I assured him that more was better. My parents sent me my dress, and, despite his pleas, I didn't show Cedric. I insisted that it was a surprise for the ball. I kept the dress hanging in my wardrobe. The ball was only a few days away, so I would get to wear it soon. Mum had sent me matching blue flower earrings, and Ginny promised she would do my hair. I normally wouldn't get so excited over something so minuscule as a dance, but I was going with Cedric Diggory, the handsome Captain of the Hufflepuff quiddich team. Of course, to me he was so much more than handsome.

I had been busying myself in the library for the past couple days, trying to finish one of my several essays. Potions had never been a strong subject for me, but I was determined to get better than an 'O' on my O.W.Ls. I looked up when I heard footsteps walking around... the library was usually almost abandoned during the Christmas holiday, but I wasn't surprised when I saw Cedric walking towards me. He sat down and looked at my essay.

"Ouch. Potions, huh?" He asked, looking up at me. I nodded, setting my quill down. I scratched my forehead and sighed. Professor Snape was impossible. "Boy am I glad that I didn't sign up for that one... apparently it's bloody hard."

"So I hear." I said. "Have you gotten your dress robes yet?" I changed the subject for the sake of my sanity. I had been working on my potions essay for much too long, and all I could think about were the repercussions of mixing the wrong ingredients.

"I got them this morning, don't worry." He smiled, taking my hand. "Are you excited? Only a few days left..." He squeezed my hand and kissed my forehead.

"I am more than excited than you, I think." I said, looking into his gray eyes. He squinted and shook his head.

"Not possible. Well, I'm excited to finally get a chance to see the dress. It's like waiting to see a wedding dress. I'm positive you'll look stunning, but I still can't picture the dress. You haven't told me anything about it..." He said, running a hand through his already messy hair. I smiled and shook my head.

"Well, you're not going to get any hints until the night of the ball." I said, glancing up at him from my essay. He sighed and tapped his fingers on the desk impatiently. He scratched his head, sighing in frustration. "What is the matter?" I looked up at him finally, putting my hand on his tapping fingers.

"It's the egg." He said, looking at me. "I still can't wrap my head around how I'm supposed to figure it out. I can't open it without loosing my hearing for ten minutes." Again, he ran a hand through his hair, frustrated and confused. I hadn't thought about that egg for almost a month, but now that we were talking about it again, something clicked so loud that I was sure Cedric could have heard it.

"That's it!" I said, hitting the desk, my inkwell falling over and nearly rolling into my lap. Thankfully, Cedric, a bit surprised at my outburst, caught it before it landed in my lap and stained my jeans.

"What's it, love?" He asked, putting my inkwell back on the desk. I looked at him, my eyebrows almost jumping off my forehead.

"You've only opened it _here_... out in the open. Where else could you open it?" I asked, and he suddenly nodded, understanding what I was trying to say.

"Professor Moody told me something like that. I couldn't quite put my finger on it though, what he was trying to get at." He said, putting his hand on my knee.

"Underwater! Why didn't I see it before?" I asked, smiling so big that my cheeks started hurting. "It makes sense when you think about it. So, when do you want to test it out?"

"Tonight, probably. I don't have rounds." He said, closing his book. "But right now, I am positively famished. Let's go see what's for lunch." I nodded and put all my things away, letting him lead me into the Great Hall.

**.:T:.**

It was nearly eleven at night, and I was on my way to the Prefect's bathroom on the fifth floor. Beneath my clothes I wore my scarlet and gold bathing suit. Making sure no one was coming, I made a silent beeline for the portrait Cedric told me about. I whispered the password quickly, and went inside. I looked around, spotting Cedric in the huge, pool-like bathtub. He turned his head and smiled, his golden egg sitting on the edge of the bath.

"I was waiting for you to get here before I opened it." He said, turning his whole body and leaning against the side, waiting for me to get in. I sighed and turned around, my cheeks getting hot as I took off my sweater and jeans. I heard Cedric chuckle, but I ignored it, getting into the warm water quickly. He was staring at me, a smile on his face.

"What?" I asked, a little irritated.

"There's no reason to be shy, Mione." He said. I shook my head and sat beside him.

"Just open the bloody egg." I said. He grabbed his egg and put it underwater. The both of us took a deep breath in and went under just as he opened it. A chorus of beautiful voices came from the egg, singing a melody I'd never heard before.

"_Come seek us where our voices sound,  
__We cannot sing above the ground,  
__And while you're searching ponder this;  
__We've taken what you'll sorely miss  
__An hour long you'll have to look  
__And recover what we took,  
__But past an hour- the prospect's black  
__Too late, it's gone, it won't come back..._" The song ended, and I surfaced, catching my breath and leaning against the wall of the bath.

"What in the world..." Cedric gasped, coming up out of the water. "do you have any idea what that could possibly mean?" I looked at him, watching him run his hand through his wet hair and sighing. I thought about it for a second, remembering reading something in _Hogwarts, a History_ about merpeople living in the Black Lake.

"I didn't think it was true..." I whispered, placing my hand on the surface of the water, watching the ripples wave through the bubbles.

"What's true?" Cedric asked, moving closer and sitting beside me, putting his hand beside mine on the water. I never noticed how much tanner he was than me. I took a deep breath and looked at him, his gray eyes sparkling.

"Merpeople," I sighed. "it makes sense, really. I mean, who else could be living in the Black Lake. I doubt the giant squid that lives there has a voice _that_ beautiful."

"But that means that the task takes place underwater. And it said something about having an hour to search for something... how in the world am I supposed to breath underwater for an hour?!" He exclaimed, splashing the water like a child. I laughed a little and shook my head.

"Are you a wizard or not, Cedric? There's a way, we just have to figure out how." I looked at him, brushing his hair from his face.

"You want to figure out how to transfigure me into a guppy?" He asked, the both of us laughing. I shook my head and sunk down into the warm water. "Let's not worry about it until after the holidays..."

"Will you tell Harry? About the egg, I mean." I asked, looking at him. I put my mouth in the water and began to blow bubbles.

"I promise I'll tell Harry." He said, putting the golden egg on the side of the bath and half- swam to the center, beckoning me with his index finger. I blushed and shook my head, almost teasingly smiling at him. He pouted, giving me the puppy eyes that I couldn't resist. I sighed and gave in, swimming over to him. He pulled me into his arms, holding me to his chest. I took a deep breath, resting my head on his shoulder and breathing out slowly. Moments like these were few and far between, so I held on to him like I was clinging to life.

**.:T:.**

I woke up on Christmas morning to Lavender and Parvati chatting about their gifts and the Ball that night. My curtains were drawn around my bed, so I didn't get up right away. I stared up at the ceiling and sighed, stretching my arms over my head. Today was going to be a long day, but tonight, I promised myself, was going to be one of the best nights of my life. After simply lounging in bed for an hour or so, I pushed the covers back and got out of bed, dressing quickly and peaking in my wardrobe at my periwinkle dress, smiling. I ran my fingers over the silky fabric and took a deep breath.

"Tonight's the night," I said, my voice barely a whisper. I wanted so bad to jump into the dress and tell Dumbledore to start the Ball right now, but I would have to put my patience into overdrive today. I closed the wardrobe door and walked down to the common room, where I was greeted by hugs from Harry and Ginny, and a simple, awkward handshake from Ronald. He had always been weird about giving girls hugs, but that was okay.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione," Ginny held out a small box, a huge smile playing on her lips. I raised an eyebrow and wondered what she could have gotten me. I opened the box, and smiled. She had gotten me a small blue flower necklace. It matched my earrings perfectly, almost like she and my mother planned this.

"Ginny, it's perfect!" I put my arm around her and hugged her tightly. Still smiling, she hugged me back. Ginny had always been the little sister I never had, just as Fred and George had always been the annoying brothers I never had. Though I missed my parents, I loved spending Christmastime with my extended family.

After all the presents were opened, we went downstairs to enjoy the extra long breakfast before us girls went to get ready for the ball. I felt someone put their hands on my shoulders and kiss my cheek. I looked to my left and smiled at Cedric, who took a seat beside me.

"Happy Christmas, love." He said, taking my hand and kissing my palm. I blushed and smiled, looking into his sparkling gray eyes.

"Happy Christmas, Cedric." I said, and he turned away from me, picking up his goblet and taking a sip of pumpkin juice. We ate breakfast, talking about the coming night. Apparently, Dumbledore asked the Weird Sisters to play tonight, so the boys were excited about it. Ginny still wouldn't tell us who she was going with despite all of us asking her. Harry and Ron were going with Parvati and Padma Patil, who were, in my opinion, a little over-excited about the whole thing.

"C'mon, Hermione, it's almost noon!" Ginny said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me towards the staircase. I groaned and waved a quick goodbye to Cedric before Ginny could rip my hand off.

* * *

_So there it is, chapter ten. Please review, the next chapter is the Yule Ball scene!! Woot! lol. I hope you enjoyed, please review! Thaks to everyone for reading!_


	12. CH 11:: The Yule Ball

**A/N: So, here it is, chapter 11. I am SOOO sorry it took me so long to get this written and up for you guys to read. Writers block is kicking my arse with this story. I know it's short, but I wanted to get it up before I left for NY tomorrow. I'm taking my laptop with me, so hopefully I'll get something done, but I won't make any promises. Anyway, here it is... enjoy!!**

* * *

Eleven  
The Yule Ball

Ginny spent hours on my hair, trying to figure out what looked best. She settled on a curly up-do with one long curl hanging over my shoulder. When she was done, I helped her fix up her hair, which she said she had wanted down, but with the sides just pinned back so it wouldn't get in her face tonight. I had seen her dress, and was amazed. Her mother made it, but it looked beautiful. Pink and green were surprisingly good colors together. When she put it on, it looked lovely on her. I couldn't help but smile when I pulled my dress out of the wardrobe. I hoped Cedric would think it looked nice. Ginny helped me with the zip in the back, and I put on my shoes.

"Wow..." She stepped back and looked me over. I spun around so she could get a good look at all of it. "you look gorgeous, Hermione."

"Thank you." I said, "You go ahead, tell Cedric I'm on my way down." She nodded and left the room. I took a deep breath and looked in the mirror, admiring the dress for a moment. I smiled, satisfied with the way I looked, and took the earrings mum had gotten to match the dress, putting them on my ears. I glanced one more time at the reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath, hoping Cedric would like the dress.

Slowly, I walked downstairs, not wanting to trip and ruin my dress. I saw that everyone was gone from the common room, so I decided to head downstairs without further delay. I made my way down the changing staircase, almost getting caught going the wrong direction a time or two, but I made it safely to the bottom. Before going down the last set of stairs leading to the Great Hall, I took a deep breath and peeked around the corner, spotting Cedric chatting with Roger Davies, Fleur Delacour's date. Beside Roger was Fleur, looking positively stunning in her gray dress, her blond hair done up perfectly. I was surprised that Cedric wasn't staring at her. I took a deep breath and walked around the corner, walking down the stairs. I smiled as Cedric looked up, watching me. He stared, his eyes looking me over, a smile finally appearing on his lips. He walked over, holding out his arm for me, and I took it.

"You look handsome." I said, smiling.

"I look a bloody mess standing next to you," He chuckled. "you look stunning." I looked over at him, his gray eyes sparkling, so full of admiration.

"Champions, over here please!" I heard McGonagall say, instructing us to stand in a line. "Miss Granger, you look lovely tonight."

"Thank you, professor." I smiled, my cheeks getting hot. I looked at Cedric and smiled, and he kissed my cheek. We were put in line behind Krum and his date, Harry and Parvati in line behind us. We waited for a few moments before the doors to the Great Hall swung open, and the champions began walking forward into the hall. I looked around, smiling at the crowd that was clapping for us all. When we reached the dance floor, I stared into Cedric's eyes and smiled. He took my waist and, when the music began playing, swept me across the dance floor as though I was nothing more than a feather. I was sure that, dancing with him, I made it look easy. But he was the one doing all the work. I might as well have been standing on his feet like a five-year-old dancing with her father.

When the formalities were done with, Cedric and I decided to sit for a moment, and I took a deep breath, watching the Weird Sisters getting ready to play.

"You were amazing out there, Hermione." Cedric said, smiling his perfectly crooked smile again.

"It was all you doing the work, Ced. I was busy trying not to step on your feet."

"Well, you didn't, and you did perfectly." He took my hand and kissed my palm, and my heart did its usual fluttering thing.

"Have you told Harry about the egg yet?" I asked, looking away from his intoxicating eyes for a moment, staring down at his hands, still holding onto mine.

"Not yet. I was waiting until after the holidays. So he wouldn't have to worry about it." I took a deep breath and nodded, looking at him and smiling. I heard the band begin to play, and looked up to see Ginny and Neville dancing together. It was quite a funny sight, actually. Ginny was doing more of the dancing. Neville was awkward enough as it was, but to have him dancing anything other than the waltz that he had practiced endlessly was just hilarious. Cedric stood, and I looked at him, wondering what he was doing.

"Are you thirsty?" He asked, kissing my hands. I nodded, realizing that I was incredibly thirsty. "I'll go get us some punch. Be right back, love." I watched him as he walked to the refreshments table, smiling at the person serving punch. I tilted my head, marveling at his perfection for a moment. Though there were other girls staring at him, watching him, batting their eyelashes flirtatiously at him, I knew that he was mine through and through. His virtues mattered more to me than his looks. The fact that he was honest to the bone and a fair competitor was better than even the fittest muscle he had. I knew that I was more to him than just a know-it-all bookworm.

"Here you go, Mione." He pulled me from my reverie and handed me my punch. I smiled my thanks and took a sip of the fruity liquid. He did the same, then looked out to the dance floor and chuckled.

"What? What is it?" I tried to see what he was seeing, but I couldn't.

"Cho is trying to make me jealous. Or so she thinks." He said, pointing out the couple he was laughing at. And I saw what he meant. Cho was dancing with one of the Durmstrang students, but her eyes were locked on Cedric. She looked stunning though, and I couldn't help but feel a small pang of jealousy.

"She looks... nice." I said, taking a deep breath and shifting uneasily. Cedric laughed again, but turned to me and took my punch, then he put his arms around me and pressed his lips to mine passionately. All of my jealousy was gone in that moment. I wondered how he did that, how he seemed to make the world disappear, how he made my mind go blank. When he pulled away, he was smiling.

"It's not working, Hermione. She's not making me jealous. How could she be making me jealous when I am here with the most beautiful girl in the room?" He whispered in my ear, his voice husky, making my knees go weak. I stared into his gray eyes, that fiery passion that I had seen before was back, burning like a forest fire.

"Let's dance," I suggested, my voice small. He smiled and nodded, kissing my cheek and taking my hand, leading me out onto the dance floor. The band changed the tempo, slower but not a "slow" song. Ced and I danced, and when I caught Cho staring at us, I just danced more. We were doing a better job of making her jealous than she was. When the tempo changed to something a little slower, Cedric took me in his arms quickly and pulled me close to him. I smiled and put my arms around his neck, staring into his eyes. He smiled and kissed the tip of my nose, still staring into my eyes. I was sure that if he hadn't been holding onto me, I would have fallen down.

I was suddenly getting that always-familiar feeling again. The rest of the world was beginning to slip away and I only felt like it was the two of us dancing. I rested my head on his chest and took a deep breath, closing my eyes and concentrating on his heart beating. It felt like only a few seconds had passed when Cedric pulled away gently and cupped my face, making me look up at him. He was smiling, his eyes bright. After a moment of just staring at me, he pressed his lips to mine, kissing me.

"Let's go for a walk." He suggested, holding out his arm. I nodded and took it, the two of us walking out of the Great Hall and into the dark, snowy night. It wasn't long before I began to shiver, the slight north wind piercing my silky dress like arrows. I rubbed my arms, trying to erase the goosebumps, but they wouldn't go away.

"Are you cold?" He asked, looking at me.

"A little..." I said, and without a second of hesitation, he took his cloak off and put it around my shoulders. It warmed me almost instantly. I put my arms through the sleeves, crossing my arms. Cedric put his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." He looked at me and smiled, but I could tell there was something obviously wrong with him. I stopped walking and turned to him, sighing. I wasn't moving until he told me what was wrong.

"Tell me what you're thinking about." I said. It wasn't a question, it was a demand. But my voice was soft, close to a whisper. He sighed, too, taking his hands out of his pockets and wrapping his arms around me, pulling me close to his chest. I listened to his steady breathing for a second, waiting for him to speak.

"I just... worry." He whispered. "With this whole tournament and everything. The first task was relatively easy, but I keep thinking about the next one. I mean, underwater for an hour? And I keep wondering what I could so 'sorely miss'. I mean, unless they took you. But I don't understand why they would. It's like putting your life in my hands. What if I couldn't find you?" He pulled away and looked at me, staring into my eyes. "You'd be gone forever. And it would be my fault. I'd never be able to live with myself."

"Cedric, stop. Please." I said, putting a cold hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes, leaning into my touch. His words were making me worry, too. "I trust you with everything, why shouldn't I trust you with my life?"

"I don't know... I just..." He smiled a small, worried smile that quickly faded and took a deep breath. "I just wish that we had realized all this before. I wish we had more time..."

"You say that like you know you're going to die." I could hardly whisper the word.

"With the way this tournament is going, I don't know if I will or not." He said. I wondered if he knew how much this conversation was hurting me.

"You're going to make it. You want to know why?"

"Why?" His voice was a whisper.

"Because you're Cedric Diggory. You're the Hogwarts champion. You're brilliant, handsome, strong, honest... everything deserving of the title of champion. And you have one thing that no one else in this competition has... well, besides Harry." I stared into his eyes. "You have me."

"But... if I don't win..." He said, trying to be negative again.

"Stop. So what if you don't win? The rest of the school might care, but I don't. You'll still be a winner in my eyes. As long as you live through this, then it doesn't matter if you win or lose. You lived. That's the only thing that matters to me, Ced. Your life." I said, standing up on my tip-toes to kiss him.

**.:T:.**

The night passed quickly, unfortunately. At the end of the ball, Cedric dragged me all the way up to the Astronomy tower to have some alone time. He put his cloak around me again so I didn't freeze to death. We were silent for a while, admiring the beauty of the stars and the time together. I could feel myself fading, wanting to close my eyes and fall asleep, but I willed them to stay open, stay awake until I reached my bed.

"Are you tired?" Cedric asked, though I hoped he could tell by the way my eyelids were drooping.

"Mm-hmm." I said, trying to stifle a yawn... and failing miserably. He stood, and I wondered what he was doing. With little effort, almost like I was more like a feather than a human, he picked me up and cradled me in his arms, holding me close to his warm body. My eyelids failed to stay open, and I fell into a half-sleep there in his arms. I opened my eyes for a moment when he set me down on a bed and took my shoes off. He curled up beside me, covered the both of us with the blankets, and mumbled a spell under his breath. By the time he was whispering 'I love you' in my ear, I was out.

* * *

_There you have it, chapter eleven. Sorry again that it's so short, but I didn't want to drag it out and make it too long. Please review!! I'm off to pack for my trip :D_


	13. CH 12:: I'm Yours

**A/N: I'M SORRY THIS CHAPTER TOOK SO LONG!! D: And, I know it's short. I'm thinking of doing the next chapter (which will be the second task) in Ced's POV, what do you guys think? Let me know!! **

**Oh, and PS- It's mah birthday!! :D I'm 20 now, an old fart. lol, jk. READ AND REVIEW!! I didn't make the chapter longer because I knew you guys are antsy to read it, sorry. But I hope you enjoy it.**

**.:T:.**

_Twelve  
I'm Yours_

When I woke up the next morning, I noticed that I was _not _in my own bed. The bed hangings were black and gold, and when I rolled over, I found myself staring into a pair of sparkling gray eyes. I blinked a few times, thinking the handsome boy lying next to me was leftover from a dream. But when the fog of sleep passed, he was still lying there, his eyes still sparkling. Lovingly, he reached up and brushed my hair back, behind my ear.

"Good morning, my lovely." He whispered, kissing my forehead. I smiled and stretched my arms above my head. Cedric smiled again and rolled onto his back.

"What time is it?" I asked, scooting closer to him and putting my head on his chest.

"Nearly half past eleven." He said, yawning. He put his arm around my shoulder, his other hand resting on my hip. I took a deep breath and sighed. I wished I could have just stayed here forever, but I was human, and I needed food. So did he, by the sounds his stomach was making.

"It sounds like your insides are eating themselves." I said, looking up at him, watching a smile play on his lips.

"They probably are at this rate. And you? Aren't you hungry, my bushy-haired beauty?" He asked, and I shot up, putting my hands on my hair. He was, without a doubt, correct about my hair being embarrassingly messy. I felt my cheeks get hot and I looked away from him.

"God, I look bloody awful..." I said, taking a deep breath.

"Hermione, you look perfect. Yes, it looks like someone threw hay on top of your head," I looked up to glare at him, but his eyes were soft, truthful. "but you look gorgeous to me." My head tilted sideways and I smiled, staring into his gray eyes.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you love my hair messy. Maybe I will stop brushing it altogether..." I said, making him laugh. He and I both knew this wasn't true, though. I was enjoying my tame-able hair. It had been getting less and less frizzy the past couple years, and I refused to let it go back to its wild self.

"Now, my love, don't go promising things you won't follow through with..." Cedric touched my nose, smiling. "Shall we get some breakfast?"

"I have no clothes, Ced. If you haven't forgotten, I was carried in here last night." I said, looking at him and sighing. He put his hand on his chin, thinking for a moment before getting out of bed quickly. I didn't know if I was supposed to follow him or not, but before I could even think about getting out of Cedric's bed, he appeared quickly with a pair of jeans and a sweater. He kissed my forehead and left me alone in bed again so I could change.

"Okay," I hopped out of the bed when I was finished. "let's go get something to eat, I'm starved."

"Me too, love." He said, and we made our way to the Great Hall. The Hufflepuff dormitories were... quite different than the Gryffindor ones. Well, I guessed their house mascot was a badger for a reason. If I had been on my own, I certainly would have gotten lost in the tunnels. But Cedric, like a master navigator, led me out of his room and out of the dormitory with little effort.

When we got to the Great Hall, there were more people sitting around than I expected. Cedric and I took our seat beside Ginny, who was looking considerably sleepy. Her red hair wasn't nearly as messy as my own, but her cheeks were flushed and her expression blank.

"Ginny?" I asked, making her look up. "Merlin's beard, what time did you finally get to bed last night?"

"Oh, around..." She scratched her head, folding up her morning _Daily Prophet_. "two in the morning."

"Go back to bed, then, Ginny..." I said, suddenly concerned for the well-being of my best friend.

"I will once I'm finished with breakfast. I had to get up and eat something... my stomach was about to bloody burst I was so hungry." She said, forking a piece of pancake and putting it in her mouth. After a few minutes, we were joined by Harry and Ron, who didn't look half as tired as Ginny.

"How were your nights?" I asked, looking from one to the other.

"Awful." Harry sighed.

"Terrible." Ron yawned.

"Why did it go so horribly?" I asked, feeling bad for my friends. Apparently, their dates had deserted them not long after the ball began. Harry and Ron sulked as they ate their breakfasts, and I looked at Cedric, nudging him.

"What?" He asked, looking at me, eyebrows raised.

"Tell him about the egg..." I hissed through clenched teeth so Harry couldn't hear me. Cedric's eyes sparked and he nodded, smiling.

"Harry, have you figured out your egg yet?" Cedric asked, taking a bite of his toast. Harry looked up, curious.

"No, have you?" He asked, and Cedric simply nodded.

"Well, mostly." Ced sighed. "Open it underwater..." Cedric whispered, leaning in to talk to Harry. I smiled and finished my breakfast, wondering how I was going to finish all my homework before classes started again.

**.:T:.**

The days passed quickly, and before I knew it, the holidays were over and classes started up again. Thankfully, I had managed to get all my homework done in time. Harry had figured out the egg, but I was trying my hardest to help him figure out a way to breathe underwater. Cedric found his way, but despite Harry trying several times to successfully use the bubblehead charm, he had given up and decided to find another way of breathing underwater.

One week before the second task was scheduled to take place, I was sitting in the library hunched over a book, trying to find a way for Harry to breathe underwater. I had lost count of how many books I had gone through, trying to help out Harry. I heard someone sit down next to me, and I took a deep breath, closing the book and looking up to see Cedric smiling at me.

"What's the matter?" He asked, brushing my hair back out of my face.

"I'm trying to help Harry and do my homework at the same time. It's impossible." I sighed, leaning towards him and putting my head on his shoulder. I heard him chuckle and kiss the top of my head.

"Mione, you're going to be a workaholic when you get out of here..." Cedric said, rubbing his hand in circles on my back. I took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling exhausted.

"I'm just... worried about Harry I guess. This tournament has his... panties in a bunch. He's wound so tight that everyone's on edge. It's sad, I've never seen him like this before. Even before a quiddich match," I looked at Cedric, running a hand through my hair.

"You're wearing yourself down, Mione." Cedric said, concern filling his eyes. He put his hand on my cheek, fingers gently brushing my cheekbone. My eyes closed and I leaned into his touch, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. When I opened my eyes, I saw his gray eyes staring straight into mine.

"I'll be fine," I whispered, goosebumps rippling along my skin.

"Promise," He didn't smile, concern filling his eyes. "promise me that you'll stop doing so much." I looked away from him and took a deep breath. I looked back at him, taking his silky gold and black tie between my fingers and sighing.

"I promise." I said, nodding and playing with his tie. Gently, he reached up again and gently brushed his fingertips along my cheek.

"Good. I don't want to see you like this anymore. It makes me worry, Mione..."

"And the last thing you need to be doing right now is worrying about anyone but yourself..." I said, but his smile faded quickly.

"I don't need to worry about anything, Mione. You know I'll be fine. I've practiced over and over for this task, and every time it works. I do not need you worrying about me, too. And Harry. You worry enough for the three of us... and then some! You need a vacation, Mione."

"Maybe a summer in Paris..." I sighed, thinking about the several times I had been to France. I loved it there, and wished I could live there year-round. But I would miss my friends too much.

"After this is all over... after the school year is over and the tournament ended, we will do it. You, me, and Paris. What do you think of that, love?" I looked out the window and smiled, the snow giving way to rain, the thunder clapping in the distance.

"That would be..." I took a deep breath and looked back at him. "wonderful."

I leaned against Cedric again, my eyes closing, dreaming of a summer spent in Paris. I could almost see us walking down the streets, admiring the street artists' paintings. I would undoubtedly drag him into the Louvre, and we would have to take the short drive to Versailles.

"Mione..." His voice pulled me from my momentary reverie. I pulled away from him and looked up, staring into his gray eyes and smiling.

"What?" I asked.

"What were you daydreaming about?"

"Paris," I sighed. "have you ever been?"

"I've always _wanted_ to go."

"It's... amazing." I smiled. "There's just so much to see, so much to do. I can only hope the summer is long enough." I said, smiling and standing up. I put the book back on the shelf and sighed, turning back to Cedric, who was looking through my backpack. I put my hands on my hips, forcing back a smile as I watched him.

"What..." He glanced at me and smiled innocently. He found something 'interesting', and pulled it out. I watched his brow crease as he held up my copy of Jane Eyre.

"Am I not allowed to read the classics now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"No," He shook his head. "I just wasn't expecting you to be reading another book so quickly."

"I finished Sense and Sensibility months ago, Ced!" I said, snatching my book out of his hands and mocking a glare. He chuckled and stood, pulling me close to him.

"I'm sorry," He whispered. "I'll try and keep up on what you're reading from now on." I looked up at him and smiled approvingly.

"Good," I smirked. "now, hand me my bag and let's go downstairs to see if dinner's started yet." Cedric handed me my backpack, not taking his eyes off me. I blushed and looked away from him, putting my bag over my shoulder. Smiling, he put his arms around me and pulled me close to him, kissing the top of my head. I put my arms around his waist and sighed, wanting to spend the rest of eternity in his arms.

* * *

_Review!! I hope you liked it! Chapter thirteen will be up soon, hopefully before the end of the month, lol._


	14. CH 13:: I Can Save You

**A/N: WOW! This one was quick. I had it finished in a few days, but I figured I'd wait until today to post it. I really enjoyed writing from Cedric's point-of-view. I think I'm going to have to do it more often... :D Anyway, here's chapter 13, I hope you enjoy it.**

**.:T:.**

_Thirteen  
I Can Save You_

It was the afternoon of the second task, Hermione was in the library with Harry trying to do some last-minute studying on gillyweed. Thankfully, that Longbottom kid had a knack for Herbology and had told Harry about the gillyweed. I was sitting in the Great Hall, trying to enjoy my lunch, but with the task only a few hours away, the only thing I could think about was how I was going to pull it off. And what in the world were they going to take that I would sorely miss? I had figured out the breathing underwater thing, but I couldn't wrap my head around the rest of that damned riddle. No wonder I never liked them. I gave up trying to eat and left the Great Hall, deciding to go to the library and see what Mione and Harry were up to.

"Oh, Cedric..." I heard Cho's voice and I turned around, sighing. I definitely wasn't in the mood to put up with her.

"Go away, Cho." I said, turning back around and continuing to walk towards the library. But she, of course, didn't give up. She began walking beside me, looking up at me.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To the library." I said, my teeth clenched. If she hadn't been a girl, I would have punched her right there.

"For what?" She was like a five-year-old that constantly questioned her parents.

"To find Hermione, Cho. Please go away?" I stopped, turning to face her. "I'm really not in the mood to deal with you right now."

"But you can deal with Hermione?" She asked, jealous. I didn't understand why she couldn't grasp the fact that we were broken up. _She _bloody broke up with me! Merlin's beard, girls were confusing.

"Yes, Cho. Because I _love_ her," I said, and just as she opened her mouth to say something, I decided to interrupt her. "You just don't get it, do you? Listen to me, I don't love you. You broke it off, remember? _You_ dumped _me_. I don't know why you are so jealous of Hermione. Oh, wait, maybe because she's better than you are?"

"She's not better than me... she's a bloody bookworm..."

"Do _not _insult her. She's a bookworm, yes. But she's bloody smart, Cho! She's smart, funny, damn near perfect in my eyes. If I hear you say one bad word against her..."

"What are you going to do, Ced?" She stood on her tip-toes and stared right into my eyes. "Curse me?" She breathed, her voice husky.

"Something like that, yes." I huffed, and stormed off, nearly slamming the door of the library behind me. Madame Pince glared up at me from behind her desk, and I simply glared back. It wasn't hard to find Harry and Hermione... she always sat at the same desk, which I thought was incredibly cute. I sat down beside her and looked over her shoulder at the book she was reading.

"Hello, Ced." She said without looking up at me. I smiled and kissed her cheek, watching a smile play on her lips. I looked over at Harry and smiled, watching him run a hand through his messy black hair. He looked more stressed out than I felt.

"Ready for the task, Harry?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"Not particularly." He sighed.

"Where did Ron run off to?" Hermione asked, looking around the library.

"Take the book that he was flipping through back." Harry said. Hermione finally turned towards me and stared into my eyes. Every time she did that, I fell in love with her all over again. Even in the dim lighted library, her amber eyes seemed to shine. I brushed her hair back over her shoulder and smiled.

"Oi!" The three of us were startled by the Weasley twins shouting in our direction, Madame Pince throwing a glance in their direction. Smirking, the two pulled chairs up to our table and sat down.

"What do you two want?" Ron asked, sitting back down next to Harry. His brothers continued to smirk.

"We came looking for you, actually." One (I was never sure who was Fred and who was George) said.

"You and miss Granger too. Can't forget about her, Fred." George said. I wondered why they wanted Hermione.

"Why?" Hermione and I asked in unison.

"Dunno. Dumbledore didn't tell us." Fred smirked again.

"Why could Dumbledore want to see us..." Hermione looked at Ron, the tone in her voice made me assume she was a bit worried.

"Dunno," George sighed, and the two stood. "but he said it was urgent. Let's go, then." Hermione sighed and stood up, turning back to face me.

"I'll be sure to be at the task. Though I know you'll do perfectly." She leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Love you." She smiled and followed behind the twins and Ron. I watched them until I heard the library door close. I looked at my watch and sighed. It was nearly time for me to go down to the lake. I patted Harry on the back as I left the library, heading to the Hufflepuff common room to change into the ridiculous uniform they wanted me to wear. It was bloody February, the lake bound to be freezing, and they were forcing me to wear a sleeveless top and shorts. Apparently they had never heard of that wonderful Muggle invention called a _wetsuit_.

**.:T:.**

I was standing on the platform above the dark waters of the lake, Harry beside me. Even with my track suit on over the would-be bathing suit, I was still freezing. It was crazy to have a water-task in the middle of winter. I looked around for Hermione, but she was nowhere to be found. My heart pounded as I looked for her, wishing she was by my side. Dumbledore came up behind us, bringing his wand to his throat and silencing the crowd quickly.

"Welcome to the second task," Dumbledore's voice boomed. "one treasure, dear to each of the champions, was taken from them. They now lie at the bottom of the black lake. To win, the champions must find their treasure and return to the surface within the hour. After that, they are on their own... no magic will save them. At the sound of the cannon, you may begin."

Almost the moment Dumbledore stopped speaking, the cannon overhead blasted, and I took a deep breath. Hermione wasn't here, but she believed in me. That was all I needed. I dove into the water, pulling my wand from the strap on my leg and pointing it at my mouth, saying the charm. I closed my eyes and waited for that bag of air over my head feeling. When it happened, I opened my eyes and took a breath, smiling triumphantly. It had worked. I glanced around me, swimming deeper and deeper into the darkness of the lake.

The quiet of the lake was almost peaceful. No wonder the giant squid enjoyed living in this lake. As I swam closer and closer to the bottom of the lake, I thought about Hermione. I wondered where she could have gone to, and for some reason, I felt jealous. I didn't know why, because I knew she wouldn't have run off to see some guy. Hermione wasn't like that. It was her honesty and trusting I loved so much.

I took a deep breath, thankful for the fresh air bubble around me. I heard angelic voices similar to the ones that came out of the golden egg. I stopped for a moment, looking at my watch. I was surprised to see that half an hour had already passed. _Merlin's beard, time to get moving_, I decided, swimming in the direction of the voices. I saw four human-shaped figures floating in the distance. It looked like their ankles had been tied to hold them down. I saw Harry, fins and all, swimming towards them ahead of me out of a forest of seaweed. As I swam closer, my eyes widened in horror.

No wonder Hermione hadn't shown up for the task... she _was_ the task. Her hair floated, waving in the slight current. Her face was somber, her eyes closed peacefully as though she was in a deep sleep. Though seeing her there worried me, I knew she was mine to save. I swam forward and watched Harry look at his friend, Ron, who had also been put into a charmed sleep. I blasted through the seaweed tied to Hermione's ankle and put my arm about her waist. I looked at Harry, looking at my watch and seeing we only had ten minutes left. I pointed towards the surface, and he nodded. Quickly, I swam up towards the surface, thankful when I finally broke.

Beside me, I heard Hermione, waking from her charmed slumber. I kept my hand around her waist, holding her above the surface of the water. She looked at me, a little bewildered, but smiling nonetheless. Our teeth were chattering, so we made our way to the platform where the cheering students were waiting for us. I helped her up the ladder first, Ginny and the twins waiting with towels for us. I pulled myself up the ladder, gratefully taking the towels that were handed to me. I pulled my soaking wet Hermione to me, kissing the top of her head.

"Ced," She pulled away and looked up at me, eyes sparkling. "I am _so _relieved to see you." A smile graced her features, and I kissed her forehead.

"I was worried you weren't here. But when I saw you at the bottom of the lake, I was so worried. But you're okay." He smiled. "Now that I think about that riddle again, it makes sense." Just then, the bell tolled, signaling the end of the hour. I looked around, the only one who hadn't returned was Harry.

"Where could he be?" Hermione asked, her voice concerned. Just then, Ron and Fleur's little sister broke the surface of the water. Harry must have saved both of them, but where was he? Hermione and I were silent, waiting with baited breath for any sign of Harry.

When he flew out of the water, we all were cheering. The stands erupted in cheers, except maybe the Durmstrang students and the Slytherins. He landed on the platform, not too far from where Hermione and I were standing. I smiled at Hermione and urged her forward. She rushed to Harry's side, taking one of her own towels and wrapping it around Harry's shivering body.

"Harry!" She exclaimed. "You did amazing!"

"I finished last, Hermione," He sounded disappointed. I knelt down beside them and gave him one of my towels. He smiled his thanks and pulled it tight around him.

"Next to last," I smiled.

"Fleur never got past the grindylows." Hermione said, smiling. We helped him to his feet as Dumbledore and the other judges conversed near the back. Hermione put her arm around my waist and smiled up at me, her amber eyes sparkling, the setting sun throwing flecks of gold into her already sparkling eyes. Dumbledore silenced the chanting crowd once more and stepped forward.

"The judges have decided to award first place to Mister Diggory!" He said, and I smiled, kissing Hermione's cheek, hearing my housemates chant my name. Harry smiled, nodding his congratulations to me. "However, due to Mister Potter's determination to save not only Mister Weasley, but the others as well, we've agreed to award him second place... for outstanding moral fiber." The rest of the Hogwarts students burst into cheers, except maybe the Slytherins. Hermione left her spot beside me to kiss her friend on the cheek and hug him.

"Second place!" She said, beaming at the both of us. "I am so proud of the both of you." Harry and I smiled at one another as I put my arm around Hermione and pulled her close to me, kissing the top of her head. I sighed, smiling and turning my head, resting my cheek on her head. I felt her arms go around me, and I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the world and all my problems slip away. Right now, all that mattered was her in my arms. The tournament wasn't over yet, but I had already won. Like she had said on the night of the Yule Ball, all that mattered to her was my life. And I wasn't about to let her down. I wasn't about to go into the third task and not come out. No matter what it would take, I wouldn't die. I couldn't leave her. Not now. Not when our life together was just beginning.

* * *

_So, review and let me know what you think!! Hopefully chapter fourteen will be done soon. You guys have been so awesome, keep the reviews coming!! Thanks to all my readers!! _


	15. IMPORTANT! AUTHOR'S NOTE!

**Author's Note:**

**HELLO READERS!! I just wanted to stop by and let everyone know that my computer decided not to work yesterday, and I cannot figure out what's wrong with it. Both of my important stories (Gravity and Haunted) were on that computer, but since they're saved on here, I'm not too worried about them. What frustrated me was half of chapter fourteen for Gravity was finished, and now, if I can't figure out what's wrong with my computer, I'm going to have to erase everything on my computer. Meaning I'm going to lose that half of the chapter that's finished. UGH! . Hopefully I won't have to do that. Right now I'm on my husband's computer. I'll try to rewrite what I had of chapter fourteen, and thankfully nothing from Haunted was lost. I'm just putting this up as a notice that there might not be updates for a few weeks, hopefully my computer won't be down for too long. I just wanted to apologize in advance for the long wait between chapters. Well, longer than normal. But thank you all for bearing with me, and I PROMISE that I will have the chapters up as soon as I can. **

**THANK YOU!! :D -Katharine**


	16. CH 14:: Never Think

**A/N:: Oh my goodness, it's been forever! At least, that's what it feels like. I got my computer back in working order now, so hopefully updates won't be _that _far apart! I apologize for the length from the last chapter to this one. This chapter is, by far, my favorite so far. The first part is in Hermione's POV, but I liked writing from Ced's that I switched, so the second part is his POV. And for those of you who have herd the Twilight soundtrack, Ced's POV was mostly written to Robert Pattinson's song "Never Think". Youtube has a good verson on there if you haven't heard it. It's an amazing song, I love it. Anyway! Read and I hope you enjoy!! Remember, reviews are love!!**

**.:T:.**

_Fourteen  
__Never Think_

I woke suddenly, sitting upright in a second. I groaned, closing my eyes and putting my hand to my forehead. Once the dizzyness passed, I took a deep breath and put my legs over the side of the bed, remembering faint details of the nightmare I had been having before I woke up. I looked at my feet and tried to remember more. I closed my eyes, seeing a maze where the Quiddich pitch should have been. The skys were dark, cloudy, like it was about to rain or the sun was setting. I saw the students waiting around... could this be the third task? I wasn't sure exactly what it was. I opened my eyes, trying to remember what had made it a nightmare. When I blinked, I could clearly see what had made me wake up. It was Cedric, but at the same time it wasn't. He was lying on the grass, his face pale. My heart thudded in fear at the memory of his gray eyes glazed over. Dead. That was my nightmare.

My eyes shot open again, looking around. My breath came in short gasps, my heart thudded in my ears. I searched for my shoes, wanting to get to the Great Hall as soon as I could. I needed to see Cedric. Now. I slipped on my shoes and left the girls' dormitory, walking through the abandoned common room as quickly as possible. I took a quick detour, stopping by the girls' loo to splash some water on my face. I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment, gathering my thoughts.

"It was just a nightmare, Hermione," I whispered to myself. "not real. Cedric is downstairs waiting for you." I took a deep breath, slowing my racing heart before walking down the rest of the stairs. I took another breath as I walked into the Great Hall and found everyone waiting for me. Minus Cedric. I looked at Ginny and asked where he was, worrying again.

"Dunno. He hasn't come down yet." She said, turning back to her conversation with her brothers. I sniffled, rubbing my sore nose with a tissue that had been permanently in my pocket since the second task, which had been about a month ago. Cedric had been pestering me to go to Madam Pomfry, to see if it was anything serious. But I had convinced him it was nothing more than a cold. Though I had promised to go if it got any worse.

My eyes stayed on the door for what felt like an eternity. I waited for Cedric to walk into the Great Hall and sit beside me with a smile on his face, his hair tousled and his gray eyes sparkling. I waited to feel his lips on my cheek, his voice whispering 'I love you' in my ear. I waited for him, longed for him to walk through the door, to wipe away the memory of my dream.

Finally, after a lifetime of waiting, I saw him walk into the Great Hall. Though, to my dismay, Cho wasn't far behind, following him like a stray dog. Cedric looked beyond pissed, and I watched him sigh, trying to get rid of Cho. He walked towards me, and when Cho saw where he was headed, she glared at me and sauntered off to join her friends. When Cedric sat beside me, I put my hand on his arm and bit my lip. I wasn't sure what to say, so I stayed silent. I waited for him to look at me, to say something.

"Ced?" I whispered, watching him take a deep breath and calm himself. "Are you okay?" He looked at me, forcing a smile and nodding.

"I'm fine, Mione." He said, taking my hand in his. "Cho is just... getting more and more annoying every day. I can't wait until this whole thing is over. The tournament, the school year, everything. I just want to get away from her." He sighed, looking away from me. I gently squeezed his hand, and he looked at me again.

"Don't let her get to you, Cedric. Don't think about her. Don't look at her, don't acknowledge her. Maybe then she'll stop. If she knows she's getting to you, then she's winning. But if you ignore her completely, she'll leave you alone. Promise me this is the last time we talk about her? Never think about her anymore. Okay? As long as you don't think about her, I won't." I said, staring into his stormy gray eyes and smiling supportivly. He thought about this for a moment, glancing at our linked hands and nodding.

"Okay," He said, a small smile curving his lips. "I promise not to think about her anymore." And with that, Cho was out of our minds. We talked and joked our way through dinner with Ginny and the others. Not one word was spoken about Cho.

**.:T:.**

I watched her from my place behind a bookshelf. My first intention was to come to the library and find her. It was a Friday, right after classes were finished. I knew she was in the library doing her homework. When I had arrived at the library, I found her with little effort. She always sat at the same table, her books and parchment spread out before her. I had never gotten the chance to watch her from a distance before. I was always by her side, whispering sweet nothings in her ear or making her laugh.

Before she spotted me, I darted behind a bookshelf and watched her study. I admired her, everything about her. How she threw herself at her schoolwork, how passionate she was when she believed in something. I loved her for everything she was, and... well, for everything she wasn't, too. She wasn't demanding or clingy, like Cho was. She was perfect. I was so undeserving of her... but there was no one out there that deserved someone like her. She was the single most amazing person I had ever met. Well, a close second to Dumbledore.

I watched as she reached for the tissue that she had pearched on a stack of books. _Still sniffling_, I smiled to myself. She was so headstrong and stubborn. Refusing to go to the nurse because of a simple cold that could have been cured in hours. Instead, she allowed it to drag on for the past month or so. But she was eating right and doing her best to keep her cold at bay. It hadn't gotten any worse, so I didn't worry about it too much. Hermione was a strong young woman, she could take care of herself.

Then, I began wondering what she would do if the Tournament ended badly. Surely Ginny and the twins would be there for her, and Harry, too. What about Ron? Sometimes, when I was around them, I could have sworn I saw hurt in his eyes, jealousy, even. Was he upset she had chose me instead of him? Perhaps if he had been kinder to her in the past, she would be with him right now, and not me.

But what if I didn't come out of the third task alive? Would he be there to comfort her? I thought about them together for a moment... and the image that came to my mind filled me with immense jealousy and anger. I could see it so clearly, though, as I watched her study. I pictured Ron sitting beside her, asking her a question about something he didn't understand. She rolled her eyes in that cute way, pointing out to him the answer that was right under his nose. He smiled at her, leaning towards her and kissing her cheek. My temper flared, and I wiped the thoughts from my mind.

I went back to studying Hermione, _my_ Hermione, suddenly feeling over-protective of her. I had never been overbearing or too protective. Sure, I was protective of her, but never to a point where I was suffocating her. She was a strong person. More strong than Cho had ever been. Cho had played the part of the damsel-in-distress, and I was her knight in shining armor. With Hermione, it was easier... more natural. We were on the same wavelength. She didn't need rescuing too often, though I was always there when she did.

I decided I had done enough watching, and I emerged from behind the bookcase, walking over to her and sitting beside her. She didn't look up, but her smile told me she knew it was me. I kissed her temple and watched the red creep into her cheeks. Even after being together for the past... almost eight months now, she still blushed after every time I kissed her. I looked down at her notes, smiling at how neat her writing was, even at the scribbling pace she was writing at.

"Mione..." I said, putting a hand on her wrist. She stopped writing and looked at me, her nose red. "you know you have all weekend to do this, right?" She took a deep breath and sighed, looking back down at her paper.

"I know." She said, putting her quill down and running her hand through her curly hair. "But you know how I like to get things done..." She looked up at me, her chocolate eyes sparkling. She looked ready to cry, but she bit her lip, holding back tears.

"Mione," I put my hand on her cheek, watching her finally let go. A tear spilled over, and I brushed it away with my thumb. "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," She shook her head, grabbing her tissue and blowing her nose. "I'm fine."

"No," I said. "you're not fine. What is the matter?" I watched her sigh again, putting the tissue down and gathering her thoughts.

"I just keep thinking..." She said. "the third task isn't that far away. I just, worry. I had a bad dream the other day and it's just been bugging me ever since."

"What was it about?" I asked, though I had a feeling I already knew.

"It was the third task. There was... a maze. And I saw you... lying on the ground." She bit her bottom lip, the tears falling again. It broke my heart to see her like this. Without hesitation, I pulled her to me, kissing the top of her head. She cried quietly into my chest, and I knew then that I didn't want to win the tournament. It would have brought pride to the Hufflepuff house again, but it didn't matter. If I hadn't been with Hermione, I would still want to win. But to see her so broken up over a simple dream of my death hurt me.

We sat like that for a little while... Hermione crying quietly. I held her tightly, the way a dying person clings to life. I didn't want to lose her. I wondered if her dream was more than that. People dream of future events all the time... that's where that whole deja vu feeling comes from. I know it had happened to me several times before. But I refused to let the future be set in stone. I wasn't going to die. I promised her I wouldn't.

The weeks passed, and Hermione recovered from her cold. We didn't talk about the third task, or about her dream. My mind was made up, and if it came down to it, I would pull myself out of the tournament somehow. I couldn't exactly forefit, but if it was a matter of life and death, I was choosing life.

A month before the third task was to take place, the four champions were to go down to the quiddich pitch before lunch. Harry, Hermione and I were walking down the staircase, chatting about anything but the task. I knew it stressed Mione out to even think about it, so I did my best to avoid the subject. I kissed her and promised to meet her in the Great Hall as soon as we were done. Harry and I made our way down the winding path to the pitch. Not a word was spoken, but we were both thinking the same thing. What the bloody hell did they have planned for us? And why were we meeting at the pitch?

As we got closer, I could see why. Short hedgerows were growing on my beloved field. It hardly looked the same with the short shrubs lining the entire pitch. They were knee-high, a dark green color. I looked at Harry, his eyes holding the same shock as my own.

"It's a maze," He breathed, looking aroudn the field. My world was spinning... Hermione's dream was suddenly becoming more and more real by the second. A bloody maze was the third task. Fleur and Krum joined us, followed by Professor Dumbledore. While he spoke, I could hardly listen. All I could do was stare at the field in horror. I wondered for a moment if I could quit the tournament right there. But I didn't want to be seen as a gutless coward.

"Don't worry, mister Diggory," Dumbledore caught my attention, and I looked up into his starry blue eyes. "your pitch will be back to normal in time for next year's quiddich season." Though he smiled, my stomach tied into knots. Hermione was definetly not going to like this. And I wasn't going to enjoy telling her. But I had to... to prepare her.

* * *

_So, there you have it. Please excuse any spelling mistakes, my spellcheck isn't working for some reason. But, please review, let me know what you think!!_


End file.
